She was born January 23, 1942 in Caldwell County to the late William Shea Puett and Dorothy Hall Puett.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Billy Joe Smith; step-father, Russell Raby; brothers, George Puett and Robert Puett; cousin, Brenda Saunders; her paternal grandparents and many aunts and uncles.
Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Kelly Tamara Smith of Lenoir; granddaughter, Rachel Shea Smith, whom she adored and was the apple of her eye, and Rachel’s boyfriend, Matthew Ryan Lewis; nephew, Monty Puett; nephews, Donny and David Puett; best friend, Nancy Morrison of Lenoir; and god-daughter, Paula Hopper of Granite Falls and Paula’s daughter, Lindsey Hillmann; and lifelong friends, Shirley Bumgarner, Lucy Cook, Pat Woodie, and Betty Shew.
Mrs. Smith was a devoted Christian, wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a member of the 1960 graduating class of Hudson High School. After graduation she attended and graduated from King’s College in Charlotte. She was a lady of many talents and hobbies, which included canning, cake decorating, and gardening. She helped manage a trucking business with her husband at one point in her career, gained her CNA certification in 1978, and retired from Human Resources with Belk in 2012.
After retirement, Mrs. Smith spent many years volunteering with the StoreHouse Food Ministry in Lenoir. She was well known for putting others before herself and was a true servant of God.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Union Grove Baptist Church on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. with Rev. Sam Craven and Rev. Jeff Lambert officiating. The family will receive friends at the church for one hour prior to the service, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Mrs. Smith’s caregivers, Penny Greene, Brooke Wilson, as well as her Hospice caregivers, Judy Walker, Carla Setzer, and Joni Cowick.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Amorem Hospice, 902 Kirkwood Place, Lenoir, NC 28645; Union Grove Baptist Church - Prayer Garden, 1808 Union Grove Road, Lenoir, NC 28645, or the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, in ℅ Union Grove Baptist Church, 1808 Union Grove Road, Lenoir, NC 28645.
Pendry’s Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Mrs. Margaret Mae Puett Smith.
