Rosemary Smith

Rosemary Smith, age 95, of New Braunfels and previously Rockport and San Antonio, went to be with the Lord March 1, 2023. Rosemary was born on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1927, in a farming community outside Ranger, Texas to the late Lloyd and Daisy Bruce where she spent her childhood climbing mulberry trees and eating peaches from the peach orchards. Rosemary started her long love of music and the violin with lessons at the age of 5. She was blessed with amazing teachers and directors like Joseph Kirstbaum, Director of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and Wilda Dragoon. After graduating from Ranger High School, class of ’44, Rosemary went to North Texas State Teachers College with a double major in voice and strings and received her degree in Music Education in 1948. She was president of the NTSC Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota national professional fraternity for women in the field of music. After graduation she accepted a position as symphony director in Gladewater, Texas where she met her love and future husband Callie W. Smith who was director of the band. After their marriage in ‘52, Rosemary taught strings in San Antonio while her husband served in the army at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. After his discharge they moved to Corpus Christi in 1954 where Rosemary played for the Corpus Christi Symphony, worked as an administrative secretary at Tuloso-Midway School District and they began their family of two girls, Kristi and Lisa. In 1960 the family moved to San Antonio, Texas where Callie Served as Assistant Superintendent and then Superintendent of Harlandale ISD. Rosemary started a successful strings program in 1970 assisted by Arlene Witte. After a 2yr move to Longview Texas where Rosemary served in the choir and a 5 year move to Austin, Texas where Rosemary and Callie helped start Riverbend Baptist church, they returned to San Antonio where Callie served the Baptist Hospital System. During the years in San Antonio, Rosemary served her churches Harlandale Baptist Church and First Baptist Church SA with special music on her violin and solos, taught Sunday School, and played with the SA Community Symphony. She also acted as interim music director and worked closely with music ministers Randy Edwards and Stephen Carrell and a member of the Tuesday Music Club. She loved to travel with her husband, family, friends of the “Gut Club”, and her sister Jean Thomas (deceased), to the Holy Land, Europe, San Francisco, Disney World in Orlando, and New Mexico. Rosemary and Callie retired to their beloved Rockport, Texas in 2001 and Rosemary lost Callie on Jan. 26, 2004. Rosemary soon moved back to San Antonio and then New Braunfels to be close to her family. The last 10 years Rosemary lived in the Rio Terra Independent and Assisted Living Facility in New Braunfels that she loved and called “home”. Rosemary served her Lord, her family and church families with her love for music that never wavered as well as her sense of humor and determination. Rosemary Smith is survived by her daughters, Kristi Tschoepe and her husband Mike Tschoepe, Lisa Henderson and her husband Dave, grandchildren Brian Henderson, Phillip Henderson and his wife Laurie and Lauren Woodchick and her husband Matthew and great grandchildren Holly and Merry Henderson, Callie and Scarlet Henderson, and Taylor, Ella and Addison Woodchick.

SERVICES WILL BE MONDAY MARCH 13, 2023, 1:00 PM at SAN ANTONIO FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH CHAPEL officiated by Blake Coffee, 515 McCullough 78215.

Memorial contributions in the name of Rosemary Smith to FBCSA TV Ministry and Music Program, and Tuesday Music Club.