Mrs. Ruby Lee Smith

Ruby Lee Smith, 87, entered Heaven on October 3, 2017, two weeks to the day after her beloved husband, Harold, of almost fifty years (October 12, 1967), passed away. Visitation will be at James Memorial Baptist Church at 3 p.m. with funeral at 4 p.m. this Saturday. Village Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Ruby was born on January 19, 1930 to Robert Charles Lee and Elsie Naylor Lee in Gadsden. She accepted Christ as her Savior at Dwight Baptist Church, and was a member of James Memorial Baptist Church for over 48 years, where she helped document and preserve the history of the church through scrapbooking. As a dental hygienist of 45 years for dentists: Dr. E.M. Lindsey, Dr. Sherold Pope, and Dr. Sam Brewer, she was president, first vice-president, secretary-treasurer, and yearbook chairman for the Gadsden Dental Assistants & Hygienists Assoc. She was vice-president of the Business & Professional Women’s Club of Gadsden. She was a 1948 graduate of Emma Sansom, voted “most studious”, and was a board member and secretary of the Half Century Club. She was topical chairman of the Etowah County Heritage Book Committee. She won some awards for her writing, and wrote a few articles published in the Gadsden Times, as well as in the Etowah County Heritage Book Series. Because of her creativity, diligence, and reliability she was often elected to chair the boards and clubs of which she belonged. Ruby was intelligent, intuitive, sensing, and sometimes to her children’s chagrin, she seemed clairvoyant!! She always knew just what they were up to…she could have been a detective!! She loved to investigate and research history and was an active member of a genealogy club. She was a talented artist and member of the Gadsden Art Assoc., and displayed her work at several art shows including Art on the Rocks. She was an avid photographer, and took thousands of pictures in her lifetime capturing the beauty around her. She loved to camp and hike was a member of the Rebel Camping Club. She and husband Harold often camped in places such as Alaska, Canada, and all over the U.S. favoring Colorado, in particular. She was a scuba diver and a charter member and secretary of the Gadsden Scuba Club who called themselves the “Merdevils”. She loved to garden. She enjoyed growing fruits and vegetables, which she would can or freeze so that they could be enjoyed year round. She loved flowers and her yard was a patchwork of all types and varieties which she planted and cultivated. She was devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great/great-great grandmother, and would do anything for her family—often cooking their favorite meals when they would visit, or buying some little gift to let them know that she cared. She loved to bake. She enjoyed trying new recipes, especially dessert recipes! She would bake something new and take to the dental office to share with everyone including her patients. She also served her children and grandchildren by sewing clothes or dolls for them -- many times rising before dawn so that she could work on those projects before she had to report to the dental office at 8:00 a.m. She had a servant’s heart and considered note writing and sending cards as her personal ministry. Often, she would scan the Gadsden Times and if she saw that one of her patients, friends, or acquaintances was going through a sickness or loss, she would send a card, bake them a cake, give them a call, or go to their loved ones funeral. When she & Harold would travel, she would often hide notes all around the house—in the fridge, between towels in the bathroom, amongst canned goods for her daughter, Misti to find so that she would know that she was loved. She knew the meaning of true JOY: Jesus first, others next, yourself last. She was selfless and forgiving--a true friend who always put others before herself. She was humble, gentle, thoughtful, loving, kind, compassionate, giving, and hospitable. She was aptly named Ruby--a precious jewel, a rare gem of a person-- irreplaceable, invaluable--priceless. She was preceded in death by her husband Harold, parents R.C. & Elsie Lee, sister Louise Johnson, brothers-in-law Hugh Johnson & Bill Smith, daughters Jo England & Diane Grizzle, and several grandchildren. She leaves behind daughters Nancy Costello, Misti Wells (Clint), Jean Couey; sons David Smith (Maureen), Ken Smith (Cyndi); sister Sue Riley (Sam), sister-in-law Betty Smith; grandchildren Michelle, Christy, Joshua, Jason, Rachel, Don, Vivian, Miranda, Carla, Shelly, Stacey, Christie, Stephen, Michael, Christopher, Monica; several great & great-great grandchildren. Pallbearers: Steve & Bill Smith, Dr. Sam Brewer, Roy Wood, Paul Justus, Jason Wells. Honorary Pallbearers: John Heald, & great-grandson, John Capolino. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to John Croyle's Big Oak Ranch.

Mrs. Ruby Lee Smith

January 19, 1930 - October 3, 2017