Barbara Gentry Smith

Barbara Gentry Smith, 69, died Sunday, September 15, 2013 in Dallas, Texas after a courageous battle with colon cancer. She was born in Asheville, North Carolina to Raymond Gentry and Virginia Hawley (Gentry) Leach on August 9, 1944. She attended Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas and graduated in 1962. She eventually moved to Dallas, Texas where she worked as a medical secretary at UT Southwestern Medical Center until retiring in 2009. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2008 and a master’s degree in liberal studies in 2011 from Southern Methodist University (SMU). Barbara’s education at SMU was focused on human rights, with an emphasis on the holocaust. Despite the grim subject matter of most of her classes, she thrived on the learning experience and enjoyed working with students of all ages. She enjoyed travel, museums, history, cooking and arts and crafts. Barbara’s enthusiasm for life and bright smile will be missed by all who knew her.

Barbara is preceded in death by her mother, Virginia H. Leach, and her sister, Jennifer Snyder. Barbara is survived by her daughter, Beverly Woodall of Dallas; her sisters Sharon (Bobby) Wilkinson of Chaparral, New Mexico and Valerie (Mike) Moorman of Walton, Kentucky; her brother Raymond (Willette) Leach of Austin, Texas, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 2:00 pm with the Reverend Canon Dr. Robin P. Smith officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Dallas Holocaust Museum, Amnesty International or Trinity Episcopal Church. Condolences may be left in Barbara’s online guestbook at http://tinyurl.com/BarbaraGSmith.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Presbyterian Village North, Trinity Episcopal Church and Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home.

‘Our love for you is not written on paper, for it can be erased.

Nor is our love for you etched in stone, for stone can be broken.

But our love for you is inscribed in our hearts, where it shall remain forever.’

- Author Unknown