Ruby Elnora Lockard Smith

Elnora was born in Gilmer Co., WV on May 5, 1923 to the late Carres M. Lockard and Theora Heckart Lockard. She was named after her Aunt Ruby and Elnora, a character in the book, Girl of the Limberlost, that her mother was reading. At the age of two, her family moved to Weston/Pricetown, WV where she was raised with two brothers and two sisters.

After high school, a civil servant test, and exhibiting her proficiency in typing and stenography, she moved to Washington, DC where she worked for the government. It was here in 1944 that she met and married her husband, Edward S. Smith, a sailor in the US Navy. After discharge, Elnora and Ed made their way to Wilmington, NC, his home. They were married for 67 years until he passed away in 2011.

Elnora and Ed were faithful members of Winter Park Presbyterian Church for 56 years. She taught Sunday School, attended Circle meetings, and enjoyed various church activities. Elnora especially loved to visit shut-ins and would usually arrive with a loaf of her famous banana bread.

Elnora was foremost a homemaker, but also worked in retail sales and retired after working in the office at Rippy Cadillac in 1985. She loved cooking for the family, baking, gardening, and sewing. Her children knew that if it needed to be cooked, sewn, or fixed take it to Mom as she, it seemed, could do anything. For fun she played the guitar and piano and loved to sing. This stemmed back to her time as a girl, playing the mandolin in her family band in WV.

Elnora was preceded in death, in addition to her parents and husband, by her sisters, Mary West and Madalyn Anderson, her brothers Ralph “Jack” Lockard and Roy “Chick” Lockard, and their spouses, her grandson, Johnny Duggins, her father and mother-in-law, Fred H. Smith and Lucy Pearson Smith and her brother-in-law Col. Fred H. Smith, Jr.

She is survived by her son, Johnny M. Smith (Ruth) of Burgaw, NC, and daughter, Jeanne Smith Rieman ( Larry) of Hampstead, NC. Also, grandchildren Sean Smith (Candy) of Vermont, Kim Smith Oyler (David) of Burgaw, Sarah Rieman Braton (Michael) of Aydlett, NC, Bradley L. Rieman (Julie) of Savannah, GA, and Allison Rieman Johnson (JJ) of Wilmington, NC. In addition, she leaves behind great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, a special niece, Judy Welborn of Leland, NC and three sisters-in-law, Catherine Smith Mitchell (Terry) of Kelly, NC, Nell Smith of Wilmington, NC , and Janet Lockard of Weston, WV.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to friends, church and family members for their loving support and prayers during this time. They are especially thankful for her caregiver over the past two years, Kathy Downs, the Hospice nurses, the doctors, and her pastors Rev. Emile Harley and Bob Fry for their faithful visits.

A graveside service will be held in Oleander Memorial Gardens on Saturday, May 14th, 2016 at 2:00 pm with Pastors Emile Harley and Bob Fry officiating. A reception will follow in Chadbourn Hall at Winter Park Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Winter Park Presbyterian Church,Wrightsville Ave., Wilmington, NC or to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center, 1414 Physicians Dr., Wilmington, NC 28401.