Lily Streckfus Smith

Born on the 4th of March 1928, in New Orleans, Lily was the sixth of seven children born to Isabel McPartland Streckfus and Capt. Roy Michael Streckfus. The Streckfus family was well known in New Orleans, St. Louis, Missouri and Rock Island, Illinois running a world-class fleet of excursion steamers on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The Streckfus Steamers line included, among others, the St Paul, J.S. Deluxe, Capitol, President, Admiral, and in later years the Mark Twain and Huck Finn.

Lily had an adventure-filled youth after the loss of her mother, Isabel, at the age of 10. Lily liked to say she grew up like a weed. She and her older and closest brother, Bob, had many adventures, biking around New Orleans, meeting the hobos and salvaging materials to build a shed for their horse on a lot behind their home on Versailles Boulevard.

Lily wasn’t allowed to work on the Streckfus excursion fleet but she loved accompanying Bob in the summer months as he sold popcorn, candy, and even beer; Most of all she loved being able to help in the bursars office counting the money.

Lily’s first year of college in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas was life-changing when, by fortune, she attended her very first economics class. She discovered that she was a born economist and finance and Wall Street became her passion. Lily transferred to Tulane University for her second year of college and was one of 17 women in a class of approximately 750 students in the Commerce School. This was post-WWII and Lily was held to a higher standard by the assistant dean because she was “taking the place of a man.” Always up for a challenge, Lily successfully obtained her BS degree in 1949 and was a recent Tulane honoree. Not to be overlooked was Lily’s local recognition as the Opelousas Yam Queen of 1946. After graduation from Tulane, she went on to work for the Boy Scouts of America and soon met fellow New Orleanian, Arthur Norbert Smith. Arthur was a former Navy flight lieutenant and a graduate of Loyola. Lily and Arthur formed a instant connection and were married later that same year on October 7, 1950. Lily was just 22.

After marriage, Lily enjoyed staying home and raising their children, Arthur L. Smith, and Ellen Isabel Smith Brown. A wonderful mother and homemaker Lily also continued her interest in economics and finance and established a varied and profitable investment portfolio that she maintained until her last days. She never lacked reading material as a daily subscriber to the Financial Times for more than 46 years. A women’s “libber” before the phrase was invented, Lily never let expectations hold her back. She was an inspiration to generations.

Lily and Art enjoyed 61 years of marriage until Art, at 92, passed in 2012. Their marriage began when, enjoying the security and heyday of Arthur N.’s rising career with Shell Oil, they moved from New Orleans to New York, then again to New Orleans, and back to New York, finally landing permanently in Houston in 1969. Art and Lily were always in love and spent their years engaged in endless discussions and debates about issues both serious and lighthearted. Some of their happiest days were enjoyed at their second home in Pirates Cove in Galveston and during vacation travel across the country and around the world.

Lily was a lifelong learner. She belonged to the several study groups here in Houston: The Delphians, The Rice Design Alliance, The Women’s Institute, and her current association with the wonderful discussion group Point Counter Point. Always an active volunteer, she was President of Whitney Heights Civic Club, the founder of the school library at J.C. Ellis Elementary, active in numerous PTAs and the Whispering Oaks Women’s Club plus her joyful association with the hospital volunteer group, The Common Thread.

Lily loved to entertain and excelled at it. She hosted many wonderful dinner parties, Christmas parties, Easter parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations. In recent years, she hosted her family every Friday evening for an informal and fun Happy Hour. Lily was an exceptional mother to Arthur L. Smith (Holly Rose Smith), and Ellen Smith Brown (David Keith Brown); the proud grandmother of Erin Ashley Smith Ahrens (Matthew Ahrens), the late Dustin Arthur Smith, Katherine Lily Brown (Patrick Morstead), Allison Lauren Smith Aubel (Eric Aubel), Roy Michael Smith (Hunter Reynolds Smith), and Caroline “Carrie” Isabel Brown. Lily grew even prouder as a great-grandmother of Brooke, Noah and Bennett Ahrens, twins Emerson “Emmy” and McKay Aubel, and her most recent addition, Louise “Weezy” Smith.

An inspiration to all she met, Lily modeled independence and confidence throughout her entire life. She is already greatly missed by her many friends and family.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 27th of December, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A funeral service is to be conducted at one o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 28th of December, in the Texas Liberty Chapel of Memorial Oaks Cemetery, 13001 Katy Freeway.

The interment will follow at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Mrs. Smith’s name be directed to The Common Thread, c/o Memorial Drive Methodist Church, 12955 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77079; Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030-4123, or the charity of your choosing.

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