Mary Smith

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 21, 2010

NATCHEZ — Services for Mary Elizabeth Sandel Smith, 86, who died peacefully Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010, surrounded by her beloved family, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Mary Basilica with the Rev. Alfred Camp and the Rev. Michael O’Brien officiating.

Burial will follow at the Smith family plot at the Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today with a rosary to follow and Wednesday from noon until service time, all at the church.

Mrs. Smith was born Oct. 22, 1923, the daughter of Henry Adrian and Ruth Doherty Sandel. She was a graduate of St. Joseph High School in Natchez and attended Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in New Orleans. She was retired from Diamond International and Brown Barnett Dixon.

She was affectionately known through out her life as “Liz.” She was totally dedicated to her family and was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a friend to all who knew her.

Liz was a longtime member of both St. Mary Basilica and Assumption Catholic Church, where she also served as a lector. Through the years, she was a volunteer with the March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s Hospital for Children, Catholic Charities and was also a volunteer Pink Lady at Natchez Regional Medical Center. She loved gardening, traveling, cooking for family gatherings and playing bridge with her dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband of 53 years, Frank Levon Smith Jr.; and two brothers, William Lloyd Sandel and Henry Adrain “Sonny” Sandel, all of Natchez.

Survivors include six children, Linda Smith Bailey and husband, Tom, Billy Key Smith and wife, Augusta, Frank Levon “Hank” Smith III and wife, Jackie, Pamela Smith Harriss and husband, Richard, and Robert Louis “Bobby” Smith and wife, Jennifer, all of Natchez, and Ruth Elizabeth “Beth” Smith Sauvé and husband, Tommy, of Natchez, La.; 16 grandchildren, Thomas Lynn Bailey Jr., Kathryn “Katie” Sandel Bailey, William Key Smith II, Robert Turner Smith, Augusta Mathilde “Mattie” Smith, Kelly Dunn Hopkins and husband, Marty, Frank Levon “Lee” Smith IV and wife, Erin, Joseph Kaiser Smith, John Kaiser Harriss, Anne Campbell Harriss, Amy Elizabeth Smith, Anna Laura Smith Orr and husband, Enoch, Catherine Lynn Smith Carney and husband, Chris, Jeffery Carlton Foster and wife, Whitney, Mary Elizabeth Foster Fingleton and husband, Todd, and Jason Brian Sauvé; 11 great-grandchildren, Dylan Rivers Bailey, Christopher Logan Dykes, Andrew Griggs Harriss, Michael Enoch Orr, Gabriel Louis Orr, Emily Claire Carney, Christopher Ryan Carney Jr., Hunter Hopkins Foster, Blake Thomas Foster, Alice Camille Fingleton and Abbey Claire Fingleton; two brothers, Lewie Sandel and Walter Sandel and wife, Peggy; two sisters, Ruth Sandel Wilson and husband, Joseph, and Freda Sandel Stallone and husband, Meno; one brother-in-law, Marion Smith and wife, Carolyn; one sister-in-law, Clara Smith Wimberly; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers and mass servers will be grandchildren.

God bless Liz, as she was truly a gift to all.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.