Grace Jackson Smith

SPARTANBURG - Grace Walker Jackson Smith died peacefully in her home on April 1, 2019, surrounded by family. She was the wife of the late Roy McBee Smith, Sr. Born February 1, 1930, Grace was the daughter of Grace Walker Jackson and William Franklin Jackson, growing up in the home of her grandparents, Tandy Austin Walker and Mary Margaret (Mamie) Cunningham Walker on Pinckney Street, in Greenville, SC. Grace attended Greenville High School, where she was homecoming queen and May Day Queen. She spent her summers as a volunteer at the Shriners Hospital and at Camp Junaluska. After high school, Grace attended Furman University and was President of her class. Grace met her late husband, Roy McBee Smith, Sr., while in high school. They were married at Central Baptist Church on Pinkney Street on August 25, 1951. She and Roy then lived at Ft. Bragg NC while Roy served in the army, then in Columbia, SC while Roy attended the University of South Carolina, School of Law. They moved to Spartanburg in 1955, where Roy opened his law practice and they grew their family to six children. Grace, for over 50 years, was an active member of The Episcopal Church of the Advent, teaching Sunday School and serving on the Episcopal Church Women and Alter Guild. She was also a communicant of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. She was member of the Elizabeth Heath Johnson Book Club and The Thursday Lunch Bunch. Grace was a lifelong member of the DAR. She joined DAR as a child in 1942, then as a full member of the Behethland Butler DAR in Greenville, transferring her membership to the Kate Barry DAR in Spartanburg, SC. Grace was a member of the St. Andrews Society Upper SC, and on the board of the Georgia Cleveland Home. A lifelong supporter of the arts, Grace was a watercolorist and pastel artist, and passed this appreciation of the arts on to her children. She served on the SC Arts Commission for 2 years under Governor Dick Riley. Grace is predeceased by her late husband, Roy McBee Smith, Sr., and her infant daughter, Margaret. Grace is survived by six children: Edith McBee Hardaway (William Eads) of Greenville, Grace Walker Bourke (David) of Spartanburg, Ella McBee Cart (Ben – deceased) of St. Simons Is., Ga, William McBee Smith (Karen Shoemaker), Mary Jane Poole (J. Roger) and Roy McBee Smith, Jr. (Bea Walters) of Spartanburg; thirteen Grandchildren, William Benjamin Hardaway (Laura Ashley Houston) in Austin, Tx, Luke McBee Hardaway (Heather Passaur), Sarah McBee Hardaway Darrohn (John) in Greenville, SC, Cristina Sofia Gomez, Alexander McBee Gomez (Keri Giles) in Spartanburg, SC, Margaret Montgomery Cart and Grace Montgomery Cart in St. Simons, Is., Ga, Taylor McBee Smith, Jacob McBee Smith, Wm. Walker McBee Smith, James Roger Poole, II., John Sterling Poole, and Hunter McBee Smith all in Spartanburg, SC. Grace has 10 Great Grandchildren: Ella McBee Hardaway, Abigail Lynn Hardaway and Parker McBee Hardaway of Greenville, SC, Lilly Grace Hardaway, Houston Kate Hardaway and Eads McBee Hardaway in Austin Tx, Emma Caroline Darrohn and Ian McBee Darrohn in Greenville, SC, Romeo Gomez and Alexander Maddix McBee Gomez in Spartanburg, SC. Services will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019, 2:00pm at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Spartanburg, SC, and the family will receive at her home immediately following the service. Graveside services will be held at Springwood Cemetery in Greenville, SC at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Spartanburg County Foundation, 424 East Kennedy Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302.