A Celebration of her Life will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, February 28, 2020 at Vineville United Methodist Church with private burial in Riverside Cemetery. Dr. Jimmy Asbell and Dr. Laudis H. “Rick” Lanford will officiate. The family will greet friends at the residence, 1115 Saint Andrews Drive, on Thursday from 6 until 8 PM and following the service on Friday in the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Stratford Academy, 6010 Peake Road, Macon, Georgia 31210 or Vineville United Methodist Church, For Summer’s Garden, 2045 Vineville Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31204. The family also wants to extend their deepest gratitude to her devoted caregivers for the love and dedication given to Mrs. Smisson.
Mrs. Smisson was born in Macon, Georgia the daughter of the late Ione Adelaide Lund Rigdon and William Irving Rigdon and was preceded in death by her daughter, Summer Ione LaWahna Smisson Neel. She grew up in Fort Valley, Georgia and Norton, West Virginia. Mrs. Smisson was a proud alumnus of Agnes Scott College. She was a member of Vineville United Methodist Church, the Bibb County Medical Auxiliary, the Hill & Dale Garden Club, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the “Sewing” Club.
While visiting in Fort Valley in the summer of 1949, her father told her about a cute boy working in the peach packing shed. They met, fell in love, and were married on Easter Sunday in 1953. Hugh was the love of her life and the center of her universe.
Her family was her joy. She raised 3 children and helped raise 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and countless other children who called her “Grandmama” and “Sweet Mama”.
Macon was her home for the past 58 years. She loved her dear friends, her sewing club, Stratford Academy, sailing, reading, writing, traveling, genealogy, and any adventure. She had fun with life!
Mrs. Smisson is survived by her husband of 67 years, Dr. Hugh Franklin Smisson, Jr.; children, LaWahna Dawn Smisson Liipfert (Richard Burton Liipfert, DMD) and Hugh Franklin Smisson, III, MD (Michelle Deanne Little Smisson); son-in-law, John Sanford Neel, Jr.; grandchildren, Richard Burton Liipfert, Jr., MD, LaWahna Dawn Liipfert Pyles, PharmD (Byron Bryant Pyles), Summer Sterling Liipfert Grisamore (Matthew Grant Grisamore), Merry Burton Liipfert Adams Rumer (Samuel Crawford Rumer), Hugh Franklin Smisson, IV, MD (Campbell Brogdon Smisson), William Benjamin Smisson, MD (Ruth Watts Smisson), Rigdon Adams Smisson (Bailey Dunn Smisson), Lauren Sophia Little, John Sanford Neel, III, Rigdon Smisson Neel, Summer Dawn Neel, and Sanford Caroline Neel; great-grandchildren, Lila Dawn Pyles, Merry Byron Pyles, Lily Rigdon Pyles, Bryant Liipfert Pyles, Grayson Brewer Grisamore, Sterling Gray Grisamore, Genevieve Pope Grisamore, Jesse Michael Adams, Jr., William Thomas Rumer, Patrick Crawford Rumer, Palmer Riden Smisson, William Harrison Smisson, John Hampton Smisson; cousin, Bruce William Anderson, DDS (Darlene Kay Anderson, MD) and their son, Blaine William Anderson.
Visit www.snowscs.com to express tributes.
Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Cherry Street, has charge of arrangements.
