Mittie R. Smith passed away on Saturday, May 22, 2021. Her life was celebrated on Saturday, May 22, at 11 a.m. at Phillips Funeral Service, Inc., located at 1810 Brockett Ave., High Point, N.C.
On Friday, May 28, a visitation and viewing will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ganzy Funeral Home, located at 1171 SW State Rd. 14, in Madison, Fla.
Interment will be Saturday, May 29, at 10 a.m. at Oak Ridge Cemetery, located at 394 NW Meeting Ave., in Madison, Fla.
Smith was born in Madison, Fla., on April 29, 1946 to the late David Moore, Sr. and Ruth Jones Moore, who had 12 children. The oldest and two youngest children died in infancy, resulting in Smith being raised as the youngest of the surviving nine children. On her father’s side, Smith had two half-brothers and two half-sisters. A “brother” was also adopted into the family by the surviving nine children. When Smith was four years old, her mother died, and she was raised by her father and older eight siblings.
Smith was educated in the Madison County school system. She graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla., in 1967 and the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1980. She worked in the law office of Judge Sammie Chess in High Point, N.C., where she remained until she opened her own office in August 1981. The office was closed in 2020, due to her illness.
Smith worked as a social worker for the Cook County Department of Social Services in Chicago as a counselor for the Opportunities Industrialization Center, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Smith also worked as a social worker in the adult program at the Wabash Center in Lafayette, Ind., and as a Protective Services social worker in Fayetteville, N.C.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers: Clayton and Rufus Moore, Johnny L. Moore, who passed in Vietnam, David Moore, Jr., Lugene Moore and Willie C. Moore. Her sister, Gloria Moore Franklin and half-sister, Cora B. Moore Womack.
Smith is survived by her husband, best friend, and soul-mate, Ronald Owen Smith, Sr. They were married on Dec. 23, 1967, and are the proud and loving parents of Ronald “Ron” Owen Smith, Jr., who Smith described as her greatest achievement and her greatest joy.
Also surviving Smith are her sisters, Juanita Moore Legree, who was like a mother to Mittie and Mercedes Moore Fennell; brother, Isaac Moore (Amanda); half-brothers, Jessie Moore and Alex Moore; half-sister, Pamela Moore; “adopted brother,” Jeffrey Thomas; special niece and caretaker, Deborah Franklin Ellerbe and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and very good friends.
The family extends its sincerest gratitude to Drs. Kim Shelton, Michael Spencer, Yan Feng, the staff of the Moses H. Cone Cancer Center and the staff from Authoracare Collective for their care and concern for Smith.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Smith’s honor to the charities of your choice.