Martin T. Smith

Funeral services will be at POPLARVILLE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 708 Julia St, Poplarville, MS 39470 on Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 2:00 pm. Dr. Eric Pridmore and Rev. Lisa Pridmore will officiate at the service. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, Poplarville. The family will receive friends and have visitation from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm, Saturday, February 28, 2015 at White Funeral Home, 315 Highway 11 South, Poplarville, MS, 39470.

Martin attended Pearl River Community College, received his B.S. degree from the University of Mississippi and then his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1958. He was an active member of the Mississippi Bar since 1958, some 56 years, and was a past recipient of the Bar's Distinguished Service Award and of the Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice's Award. He was also a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation.

Upon graduation from law school, he returned to Poplarville, where he began the practice of law. He was engaged for most of those years in the general practice of law, with offices in both Poplarville and Picayune, Pearl River County, Mississippi. Representing various governmental entities over the years, including the first Board of Supervisors of Pearl River County, and then the City of Poplarville and the Board of Trustees of Pearl River Community College, were areas of interest in his practice.

Along with and addition to his years of service as an attorney, he was involved in various other business interests and activities, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation. He was President of First State Savings & Loan Association, a state chartered savings and loan corporation, until it was purchased by Unifirst Federal Savings & Loan Association and then served as Chairman of its Pearl River County Division Advisory Board.

Over the years Martin was involved in civic activities, including being a Past President of the North Pearl River Chamber of Commerce. He was the first Chairman of the Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport Board, during which time that airport was established. He was also the first Chairman of the Pearl River Community College Development Foundation. He was recognized as Poplarville's Citizen of the Year and as Pearl River Community College's Alumnus of the Year.

He was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Poplarville and was an active member, and past Chairman of its Administrative Board, of the First United Methodist Church of Poplarville.

Martin served for 20 years (from 1968 until 1988) as a member of the Mississippi Senate, with the last eight years as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. While a member of the Senate he also served four years as a member of the State Building Commission, predecessor to the now Bureau of Building & Grounds, and four years as a member of the Performance Evaluation & Expenditure Review (PEER) Committee.

Subsequent to his retirement from the Senate, he was elected by the Mississippi Supreme Court to serve as the first Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of Courts, which position he held for four years and until his retirement.

He then returned to Poplarville and again served as attorney for the Board of Trustees of Pearl River Community College, a position he had previously held for some 30 years, and then as City Attorney for the City of Poplarville, Mississippi, a position he had also previously held for some 24 years, both which he held at the time of his death.

Martin leaves surviving him his wife of 55 years, the former Dolores Thomas, a son, Martin Barney Smith, and three grandsons, Adam, Evan, and Andrew Smith.

White Funeral Home, Poplarville (601) 795-4982.

www.whitefuneralhomepoplarville.com