Betty Gayle Smith

Visitation will be held at Memorial Funeral Home, 1217 Business Loop 70 West, Columbia, MO 65202, at 12:00pm-2:00pm on Friday, July 9th.  Celebration of Life Service, with Rev. Marci DeVier, will follow at 2:00pm at the same location. 

Betty Gayle Smith was born on May 16th, 1945, in Boone County, Columbia, MO. She grew up on the family farm on the west side of Columbia. She graduated from David H. Hickman High School with the class of 1963. She went on to attend school at the University of Missouri, where she graduated with a Bachelor's in Education. She then moved to Houston, TX, where she taught 7th and 8th grade history for six years. She would later attend the University of Houston from 1973-1974, where she received certification in auto insurance. In 1979 she married Raymond Jenkins and in 1980 they had a child, Deidre. In 1984 she divorced and returned to Columbia. From 1974-2003 she worked on and off for various insurance companies such as St Paul Companies, Crawford and Company, self employed as a PCA, Progressive and then Cornerstone Insurance until her stroke in 2003. 

After 2003, she volunteered at many local community organizations. She enjoyed being a Lay Chaplain at her church, Unity of Columbia, along with helping programs such as Course of Miracles and Interfaith. She also enjoyed volunteering with Plant a Row for the Hungry Project through the Food Bank, English as a Second Language, at the Columbia Senior Center and Heart of Missouri Master Gardeners. Betty was a 4-H leader for many years. She loved to read, visit with her friends and family, and take lots of amazing photographs. She also loved to travel and has been to Great Britain, France, Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. She had a passion for building and designing labyrinths and peace poles for meditative and healing purposes. She had a tremendous amount of love to share and only wanted peace and happiness in the world.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Beatrice Smith. 

She is survived by daughter, Deidre Henry; husband, Matthew; her sister, Joyce Ardrey; her niece, Christine (Jack) Crouch; her great-nieces, Meredith and Katie; great-nephew, Jett and great-great-niece, Parker.