Vivian J Jackson Smith

Vivian Jackson Smith was born August 15, 1935 to Vareda and T.R. Jackson. She had two sisters Wanda and Carol and a brother T.R. Vivian grew up in the country on a farm in Blount County, Alabama. She went to Susan Moore and finished 12th grade there. She was a graduate of Lee University, Cleveland, Tennessee.

While attending Lee she met Lou Smith. It wasn’t long before they began to make plans for the future. They were married May 27, 1955 at Mt. Zion Church of God, Susan Moore, Alabama. They returned to Lee University and Lou resumed his studies and became the Assistant Dean of Men.

After Lee they moved to Gadsden, Alabama where Adrienne was born on June 17, 1956. They lived in Gadsden about a year and moved to Pensacola, Florida. On August 30, 1957 their first son Louis Charles 3rd was born. Jeffrey followed on October 5, 1958 in Tallahassee, Florida. Myron was born November 17, 1959 in Brooksville, Florida and Cynthia on March 27, 1963 in Tampa, Florida.

Vivian had numerous jobs throughout the years and retired from Sun Trust Bank in 1996. She pursued her hobbies and flower garden. Hobbies included sewing and cross stitch needlework. She was an excellent seamstress and draper. She was an accomplished pianist and choir director throughout her adult life serving as a volunteer choir director in churches she attended. She loved cooking for her family and showed her love for them daily serving home cooked meals. She collected over 200 cookbooks and often experimented with cooking and developing her own recipes and was published in Southern Living Cookbook. She faithfully followed the Bible’s commandment to “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” She taught her children about her deep faith in God. She held nightly family devotions with her children. She was a life-long member of the Church of God, Cleveland, TN.

She is survived by her husband Louis Smith. Children: Adrienne DiIulio (Mike DiIulio); Louis Smith (Judith Smith); Jeffrey Smith (Tracy Smith); Myron Smith (Terilyn Smith); Cynthia Smith. Grandchildren: Tim Flagler (Victoria Flagler); Stacy Varner (Ryan Varner); Michael Flagler (Krystelle Flagler); Jason Smith (Eliana Smith); Christopher Smith; Christine Smith; Bryan Smith; Caitlin Smith; Nathan Smith. Great grandchildren: Ciara Smith; Jackson Smith; Logan Flagler; Peyton Flagler. Siblings: Wanda Stewart (John Stewart); Carol Scull; T.R. Jackson (Debbie Jackson) and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements under the direction of Wells Memorial Funeral Home, Plant City, FL.