Mary Dempsey Smith

Mary Dempsey Smith, age 86, resident of Somerville, Tennessee departed this life Saturday afternoon January 25, 2025. 

Mary was born October 7, 1938, in Shelby County Tennessee. She was the daughter of John L. and Mary Katherine Dempsey. She graduated from Bartlett High School in 1956 and spent her first year after high school in Washington, D.C. training to be a flight attendant. She married Roy H. Morrisett on March 10, 1958. After his passing, she met and married Carl J. Smith on December 26, 1979. Her working years were spent at the Fayette Falcon as a typesetter, Myers Flower Shop, the Circuit Court Clerk in Fayette County and then finally at the Fayette County Board of Education, retiring in 2013. She enjoyed traveling with Carl throughout the United States, trying new recipes for all her family and friends, and mostly, spending time surrounded by her extended family.

Mrs. Smith is survived by her daughter, Melodie Morrisett Voyles of Somerville; two sons, Ray Smith (Marie) of Franklin, TN and Robert “Bubba” Smith (Kathy) of Byhalia, MS; two brothers, Charles Dempsey (Sandra) of Garfield, GA and Raymond Dempsey of Jacksonville, SC; two bonus daughters, Sarah Fowler (Dan) of Knoxville, TN and Becky Nelson (Jay) of Salem, AR; thirteen grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and finally, her cat Suzie. She also leaves her special friends, Mary Parks, Kathy Davis, Barbara Parks, Harold and Donna Feathers, Johnny and Lisa Davenport and Evelyn S. Parker. 

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Roy Huey Morrisett in 1975 and Carl J. Smith in 2021; her siblings, James Robert Dempsey, Caroline Bryant Meek, and Jack Dempsey; her nephew, Carl A. (Drew) Haid, Jr.; and niece, Renee Dempsey.

A Celebration of Life Service was held at 2 P.M. Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Dr. Ken Culver, pastor of Warren Community Church near Somerville, officiating. Remarks were given by Mrs. Smith’s daughter, Melodie Voyles. Interment followed in the Somerville City Cemetery.

Those honored to be pallbearers were Scott Easley, Bert White, Ben Dennie, Tyler Smith, Cooper Dennie and Philip Casey. Honorary pallbearers were Jimmy Smith, Willie Jeff Wiles, Johnny Davenport, Jeffrey Voyles and Harold Feathers. 

The family requests that memorials be directed to Warren Community Church, 11800 U.S. Highway 64, Somerville, TN 38068.