Name | Blanche Ellen DARR [1, 2, 3] | |
Born | 1926 | Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina |
Gender | Female | |
HIST | Blanch E. Smith SAVANNAH, Ga. — Blanche Ellen Darr Smith (Mrs. William Wannamaker Smith), 86, died Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, at Hospice in Savannah, with her children and two of her granddaughters with her in her final hours. Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her husband, William “Billy” W. Smith. Born in 1926 in Sumter, to the late Rev. Joseph Haynsworth Darr and Ruby Passailaigue Darr, Mrs. Smith was the eldest of three sisters. She attended Blue Mountain College in Mississippi, graduating in 1948 with a degree in music and piano. She declined a graduate position at Harvard to accept a call as organist to the Methodist Church in Conway. There she met Billy Smith, a recent graduate of The Citadel, who was working for the South Carolina Highway Department. Mr. and Mrs. Smith married on Dec. 16, 1950, and lived in Charleston for their entire married life. Shortly after moving to Charleston, Mrs. Smith embraced the role of organist at First Baptist Church and she continued serving this church through her music ministry for more than 50 years. Mrs. Smith was also offered teaching positions at Ashley Hall and the newly established First Baptist Church School. Under the strong Christian leadership of Dr. John A. Hamrick, Mrs. Smith chose to devote her career to teaching and mentoring students at First Baptist Church School. Six and even sometimes seven days a week, she could be found at the piano in her “teaching room” or at the organ in the church at First Baptist. She loved each and every one of her pupils, many of whom have pursued successful and rewarding careers in piano. Her piano recitals became important annual events, filled with beautiful classical music by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, and Grieg, as well as contemporary and patriotic classics. Her strong, Christian faith permeated everything she did and lifted many friends, students, and family into God’s love during difficult times. A beloved Christian wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, mentor, teacher, best friend, and musician, Mrs. Smith is survived by her two daughters and a son and their families, who will miss her loving, caring touch daily: Gwen Smith McKee and Dr. Thomas W. McKee of Savannah, Mary Jo Smith Spence and Stephen B. Smith of Roswell, Ga., and William Darr Smith and Gena Smith of Atlanta. She is also survived by a sister, Mrs. James P. Hahn of Knoxville, Tenn.; a brother-in-law, Edward L. Smith of Columbia; a sister-in-law, Sarah Margaret Smith Dubose of Summerville; seven grandchildren, Mary Ellen McKee of Savannah, Thomas W. McKee Jr. of Atlanta, William “Billy” Kelly McKee of Athens, Ga., Mary Margaret Spence Beaty and Daniel Evan Beaty of Philadelphia, Pa., Paige Elise Spence of Portland, Ore., and William Darr Smith Jr. and Hunter Hamilton Smith, both of Atlanta; three nephews; and four nieces. Mrs. Smith was predeceased by her parents; her husband; and her sister, Mary Sue Darr Loveland of Bridgeton, N.J. The family received visitors Sunday at J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Downtown Chapel, 232 Calhoun St., Charleston. The funeral service was held Monday at First Baptist Church, 48 Meeting St., Charleston. Burial for attendance by family and close friends was held at Live Oak Memorial Gardens immediately following the service. Pallbearers were Dr. Thomas W. McKee, William Kelly McKee, Thomas W. McKee Jr., Stephen B. Spence, Daniel Evan Beaty, Richard P. Loveland Jr., James Paul Hahn III, William Darr Smith Jr. and Hunter Hamilton Smith. The family requests memorials be sent to the newly established Blanche Ellen Darr Smith Fine Arts Scholarship at First Baptist Church School, 48 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401; the Music Fund at First Baptist Church, 48 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401; the Music Fund at First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave., Savannah, GA 31405; or the French Huguenot Society, 138 Logan St., Charleston, SC 29401. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting www.jhenrystuhr.com. Posted in Obituaries on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 [3] | |
_UID | 5C1726E62BF049C0945FE364564D3DBB78BC | |
Died | 31 Oct 2013 | Hospice in Savannah, Georgia |
Buried | 4 Nov 2013 | Live Oak Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina [3] |
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Person ID | I124518 | Singleton and other families |
Last Modified | 5 Nov 2013 |
Father | Reverend Joseph Haynsworth DARR, Jr., d. Bef 31 Dec 2013 | |
Mother | Ruby PASSALAIGUE, d. Bef 31 Dec 2013 | |
_UID | 5FD60020A5CA43E6BA54281E92BF03AE4313 | |
Family ID | F56168 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Family | William Wannamaker “Billy” SMITH, d. Bef 31 Oct 2013 | |||||||
Married | 16 Dec 1950 [3] | |||||||
_UID | 037D2967F433451CAFF6C9E8952FEAF18D61 | |||||||
Children |
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Last Modified | 5 Nov 2013 | |||||||
Family ID | F85597 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Sources |