Joyce Kathleen Smith

Joyce Kathleen Smith, a seven-month resident of Las Vegas, passed away on March 15, 2014 at Spring Valley Hospital. She was born on August 8, 1928 to Richard Wright Clow and Hazel Lavina Siesser Clow in Emporia, Kansas. She had one older sister, Elwyn Clow Hart and a brother that died at birth. Joyce grew up and went to school in Emporia. Having a great love of music, she played classical piano and was a member of a singing quartet call “The Three J’s” (all of their names began with the letter “J”. Their reputation grew and they even cut a “demo” record. Her music career was cut short when James Richard Smith came home from the war and they were married on December 20, 1947 in Kansas. Their lives moved them all over the country - Montana (which she loved), New Mexico, Missouri, Minnesota, Utah, and Oklahoma. They did have time to have two children Terry Kathleen Shepherd of Las Vegas, and David Michael Smith of Lufkin, Texas. After the death of her husband, Joyce moved to Texas with her son and eventually moved to Nevada to be with her daughter. Joyce loved gardening (a passion she got from her parents), her pets, and nature. She was most at home among the trees and majesty of the mountains. She was a bookkeeper for many years for car dealerships, oil companies, and the city of Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents Richard and Hazel; her husband James; her grandson Chad Richard Shepherd; and her sister Elwyn. She is survived by her children Terry and David; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Services will be held on Monday, March 24, 2014 at 10:00am at Palm Eastern Mortuary in Las Vegas. Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.