Barbara Proctor Smith

Barbara was a joyous and loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend. She was born October 6, 1941, to Jim and Addria Proctor in Henderson, NC. Barbara attended Duke University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude with a degree in History. She enjoyed membership in Kappa Delta; served on the Women’s Judicial Council, Women’s Freshman Advisory Council, and University Religious Council; and made lifelong friends. After graduating in 1963, she taught history at Garinger High School in Charlotte, saving to travel solo around Europe for a few months in 1965 before moving back to Durham to work as a resident advisor at Duke.

Soon she met Robert E. “Bob” Smith, a fellow Duke graduate, through mutual friends. Bob and Barbara married in 1966 and enjoyed a 58-year marriage until his passing in October 2024. After moving to Raleigh, Barbara worked briefly at IBM before starting a family. While raising their children, Barbara volunteered with school PTAs, served on committees and in lay leadership at Highland United Methodist Church, and pursued many artistic endeavors—including craft and jewelry making. When Bob opened his own law office in the mid-1980s, she became office manager, finance manager, and occasional paralegal. They worked side-by-side for almost 20 years until she retired to focus on painting. Barbara was honored to become a member of the Cary Gallery of Artists and enjoyed many fulfilling friendships with other artists in the Triangle. She also enjoyed friendships through Circle 7 at Highland UMC, her wonderful book club, and the choirs at both Highland and Hayes Barton UMC, where she and Bob spent their last years in Raleigh.

Those who knew Barbara will remember her creativity, intelligence, and delight in small wonders—and perhaps also her collection of unique earrings, some of which she made by hand. In her Artist’s Statement for shows, Barbara wrote: “My art is the joy of losing myself and creating a record of what I see and feel so that others can experience it, too.” She communicated joy through her art, through the wonderment with which she experienced the world, and through the many ways she loved family and friends.

In 2020, Barbara and Bob moved to the River Landing Retirement Community in the Triad, where they made wonderful friends and enjoyed active lives, singing in the chorus at River Landing and in the choir at Christ UMC in Greensboro. These friends and others supported Barbara with much love, small kindnesses, and many delicious soups after Bob’s recent death.

There will be an irreplaceable void for those blessed to know and love Barbara Proctor Smith. She was vibrant and valued fairness, friendship, books, ideas, and art, but most of all she treasured her loved ones and provided extraordinary support in times of difficulty or illness. We hope that anyone whose life was touched by Barbara may find a way to honor her through an act of care for a friend or by noticing and appreciating some small wonder during your day.

Barbara leaves behind her children, Jay Smith (wife Holly Hollman) of Falls Church, VA and Kathleen Smith of Greensboro, NC; and two adored grandsons: Hollman Paxton Smith and Jameson Proctor Smith. She is also survived by her brothers-in-law Maurice Capps and Charles Michael Smith (Barbara); nephew Gil Capps (Julie); and niece Addria Capps.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband Bob and her sister, Addria Proctor Capps.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to ArtSpace (artspacenc.org) and Sound Rivers (soundrivers.org).

A celebration of life service will be held at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC at 2:00 pm on Friday, May 16, 2025, followed by a reception at the Church.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh is serving the Smith family.