Born on March 30, 1933, in Knoxville, TN, she was the daughter of the late Lacy Calvin Macon and the late Evelyn Russell Traylor Macon. Eloise grew up in Lynchburg, VA, and attended Longwood College, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Education.
She married H. Melvin Smith in 1955, and over 64 years of marriage, the couple lived in Pittsburgh, PA – where she taught math in the Allegheny County Public Schools and raised her three children – as well as Jackson, MS, Salem, VA, and finally Severna Park, MD. She was not as naturally adventurous as her husband, but that did not stop her from sailing, camping, fishing, cross-country skiing, and traveling with him, instilling the same sense of adventure in her children. Eloise actively shared her wealth of knowledge ranging from Biblical topics to sewing, embroidery, cooking, and gardening. She could easily name every plant encountered. Eloise always had a fascination with genealogy and painstakingly mapped her family tree going back to the 1600s. No matter where she lived, she always found a way to get involved in her local church and community, teaching, learning, sharing life with friends and family – whether delivering meals-on-wheels in Pittsburgh, teaching Sunday School to 6th and 7th graders, taking a leadership role in the newcomers club of Jackson, MS, baking elaborate cakes for Cub Scout events, singing in the choir in Salem, VA, or leading Bible study at her church in Severna Park, MD – getting involved and giving back drove her. Faith and Family were Eloise’s north stars in life, and there was never any doubt that they guided her life purpose.
In addition to her parents, Eloise was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Horace Melvin Smith.
She leaves to cherish her memory her three children, Janice Shipley; Judy Blanchard (Mark); and Rich Smith (Sylvina); eight grandchildren, Robert Shipley (Kalina), James Shipley (Tory), Stephen Blanchard (Kimberly), Kevin Blanchard (Madison), Sophia Smith, Ramsey Smith, Alexandra Osterman, and Luke Osterman; and seven great-grandchildren, Roland Shipley, Oliver Shipley, Penelope Shipley, Elliott Shipley, Scarlett Blanchard, Jaxon Blanchard, and Peter Shipley.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 7, 2026, at Whitten Timberlake Chapel, 7404 Timberlake Rd., Lynchburg, VA, with Rev. Janet Chisom officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. After the service, family and friends will proceed to Fort Hill Memorial Park, 5196 Fort Ave, Lynchburg, VA, for a brief graveside service and to lay her to rest next to her husband, Mel.
Family and friends are invited to gather together to honor Eloise’s life, celebrate her memory, and offer support and comfort to one another during this time of loss.
