Joan McIntire Smith, 87, was born in Chester, Mississippi on January 29, 1930, and departed for her heavenly home from Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo on December 10, 2017. She was the beloved wife of the late Casey Marion Smith, Sr. for 64 years. A Celebration of Life memorial service for Joan will be 12 Noon Wednesday, December 13, 2017, at Enon Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Ackerman with Rev. Jerry Lawson and Rev. Buddy Smith officiating. Visitation will be the morning of Wednesday, December 13 from 10:00 AM until 12 Noon at Enon Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Coleman Funeral Home of Ackerman is in charge of arrangements.
Joan was born to William Edward and Wilma Melton McIntire, graduated from Ackerman High School in 1947 and attended Holmes Junior College. She and Marion were married in 1948 at the Methodist Church parsonage in Ackerman. Joan worked at the Ackerman Clinic for ten years as the assistant to Dr. Bill Oakes (8 years) and Dr. George Bounds (2 years). In 1964 she began her twenty-eight-year career at the Bank of Ackerman that became Union Planters Bank and later Regions Bank. Joan retired from Regions Bank in June of 1992 as an operations officer.
Joan trusted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and Lord seventy five years ago at the age of twelve. Affectionately known as Joan, Mom, Nanna, GG and Aunt Joan, she was a benevolent wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, Aunt and friend. Joan affectionately cherished her family and profoundly touched and impacted each one. One family member, Marydel Ingram, says, "when you got a 'Joan touch', you knew you had love." She was known for her devotion to Jesus Christ, love for family, faithfulness to her beloved Enon Cumberland Presbyterian Church, commitment to intercessory prayer, passionate study of the Bible and a deep hunger for all means of God's grace. Joan and Marion will long be remembered for their zest for life, generosity toward others and entertaining story-telling about the more joyful and lighter things of life. Although she thought it could always taste better, Joan was a master chef. She was usually much wiser than all pundits on the FoxNews Channel. How do we know? She told them so every day. When a good college football game was on television, you might as well mute the commentators as her exuberance drowned them out. Everyone who knew Joan understood that God must have created cats just for her. Buddy was given an early grade school assignment of identifying an animal he might choose to become along with the reasoning for his choice. He wrote how he would like to be his mother's cat because there are times that the cat gets more special attention than he or his dad. Among Joan's special felines were Peetie, Mitch, Princess, Buster, Susie, Tinker Belle, and Archibald.
Our family expresses deep appreciation for her wonderful caregivers and special friendships at Magnolia Manor, Mitchell Center at Traceway, Sanctuary Home Hospice, and Sanctuary Hospice House of Tupelo. Over these past five months, Sanctuary Hospice of Tupelo has lovingly and profoundly touched our lives daily as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
Survivors include son, Rev. Casey Marion "Buddy" Smith (Carol) of Plantersville; granddaughter, Stacey Fowler (Chip) and great grandsons Casey Joe and Weston of Plantersville; grandson, Casey Smith (Mandy) and great granddaughters Addie Grace and Lexie Rose Smith of Madison; aunt, Ann Melton of Ackerman; brother-in-law, Kenneth Smith (Bess) of Flowood; nieces, Sharon Simmons (Grant) of Cleveland, TN, Genia McIntire of New Orleans, LA, Sarah Weathersby (David) of Flowood; nephews, Dr. Ed McIntire (Rebecca) of Cleveland, TN, Don Smith (Karen) of Pearl, David Smith(Dolly) of Pearl, Mark Withers (Linda) of Elkton, KY, Richard Withers (Rhonda) of Hopkinsville, KY; and many beloved cousins.
In addition to her parents, Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Marion; brother, Edward Melton McIntire (Loretta); and sister-in-law, Doris Withers (Mike).
Pallbearers will be Casey Smith, Chip Fowler, Joe Fowler, Casey Joe Fowler, Weston Fowler, Dr. Ed McIntire and Dr. Fred Ingram.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of Enon Cumberland Presbyterian Church, former classmates of Ackerman High School, along with co-workers at Bank of Ackerman, Union Planters, and Regions Bank.
Memorials can be made to Enon Cumberland Presbyterian Church, P O Box 294, Ackerman, MS 39735, or Marion & Joan Smith Memorial, Ackerman School Reunion Scholarship Fund, Attn: Kenny Clark, P O Box 398, Ackerman, MS 39735, or Sanctuary Hospice House, P O Box 2177, Tupelo, MS 38803.