Rosemary Smith

Rosemary was born the youngest of five children to Josephine Pasqua Rener and Bonnie Rener, Sr., in Dallas on January 4, 1942. She attended Saint Patrick and Saint Edward elementary schools and graduated from Samuel High School in 1960. She worked at Mercantile Bank in downtown Dallas in the years between high school and college.

In her late twenties, Rosemary began dating Luther “Sparky” Jefferson Smith, II, and they were wed in 1977 at Bethany Christian Church, in Dallas. Son Luther “Luke” Jefferson Smith, III, was born four years later.

Rosemary earned her Associates Degree and Registered Nurse certification from El Centro College in 1976. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in 2000 from Texas A&M University– Commerce.

During her career in nursing, she worked at Parkland Hospital, Doctors Hospital, and Mesquite ISD. She taught classes at El Centro for many years near the end of her career.

Rosemary was a consummate nurse. She applied her conscientious work ethic and attention to detail to those in her care. In 2010, she fulfilled one of her life goals by founding her own Certified Nurse Aid training school. She graduated 8 classes of students with a 100% pass rate!

Rosemary will surely be remembered for her beautiful smile, easy laugh, lovely sense of style, and being impeccable with her word. She also will be remembered by her devotion to family. She frequently reminisced about her parents, siblings, and extended Italian family, whose past generations settled in Dallas from Sicily at the turn of the century.

Throughout her lifetime, in her every action, Rosemary extended the same family pride and devotion to caring for Sparky and Luke, focusing on their well-being and enjoying their time together as her priority. She loved family

vacations, particularly their annual trips to Disneyworld. She and Sparky also formed many lifelong friendships through their involvement with the Dallas Firefighters Association.

In her later years, Rosemary inspired many by her earnest striving to surrender to our Lord’s will. With the support of friends from her faith family, she developed a practice of centering prayer, which provided her with a unique closeness to God that sustained her through life’s challenges.

Rosemary is preceded in death by her siblings and their spouses: Ross Rener (Gene), Bonnie Rener, Jr. (Lorine), Josephine Rener (Bob), and JoJo Rener (Dale), all of Dallas.

She is survived by her husband, Sparky Smith; son, Luke Smith; sister-in-law, Candace Smith; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

All services will be held on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at Calvary Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Ln, Dallas, Texas.

Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. in the North Chapel. Rosary will begin at 10:30 a.m., led by her nephew Deacon Leo Rener. The funeral mass will follow at 11a.m. with Rev. Danilo Ramos of Sacred Heart Parish in Rowlett, officiating. Burial will follow immediately at Calvary Hill Cemetery.