Lois Inez Smith

March 12, 1930 - February 1, 2021

Lois Inez Smith was born on March 12, 1930 and passed peacefully in her home, on February 1, 2021 at the age of 90. Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Smith; father, Antony Berton; mother, Ethel Davis Berton; brothers, Dante Berton and Dennis Berton; sisters, Alda Nalley and Gilda Scott; and half-siblings, Bud, Ace, Nellie, Virginia, and Ruby. Lois will forever be remembered by her best friend and neighbor for over 40 years, Nellie Lankford and her family; niece, Debbie McLelland and her daughters, Michelle Wahl & Dawn Jones; niece, Vickie Leithner, her husband, Steve Leithner & daughter, Holley Towns; nephew, Jim Nalley and his sons, James Nalley & Jordan Nalley; and a plethora of other nieces & nephews, friends, and neighbors. A native of Atlanta, Lois lost her mother at the age of ten and she & her siblings were separated when they entered the foster care system. She stayed in foster care until after high school, when she went to work for the catalog department of Sears. As a loyal employee of Sears, she stayed with them until retirement. Over the years, she was able to reconnect with her siblings, Dante, Dennis, Alda & Gilda, but unfortunately, she was never able to reconnect with her baby brother, Bobby. Around midlife, Lois met and married the love her life, Leonard Smith then moved to Snellville. Having no children of her own, she treated her nieces, nephews, and the neighborhood kids as if they were hers. She never missed a birthday or holiday. It brought her so much joy to see the children happy. Lois was a shopper. Though she rarely bought anything for herself, she loved to shop. And she was thrifty. She could walk out of the store with $600 in merchandise having only spent $250. If there were a sale, discount or coupon, she'd find it. She loved her Garfield comics and Leonard made her a shelf for her Garfield figurines that still hangs on the wall. Her favorite animal is the elephant and she has quite a few of those sitting on shelves. If you've ever visited then you know she either had her nose in a book or she was watching Fox News or HGTV. Lois was the definition of an Angel, a pure soul walking among us. She lived to see people smile and would do anything possible to see you do just that. She would never allow anyone she cared about to go without and doing things for other people was an integral part of her heart. Spending her youth in the Great Depression and aftermath, she never lived beyond her means, but was charitable and encouraged others to follow her example. Those we love don't go away They walk beside us every day Unseen, unheard, but always near Still loved, still missed, and very dear Wishing us hope, in the midst of sorrow Offering comfort in the midst of pain, both today and tomorrow The funeral service to honor and celebrate the life of Lois Inez Smith will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 2:00 PM at Tom M. Wages Funeral Service Snellville Chapel. Burial will follow at Eternal Hills Memory Gardens. The family will receive friends also on Thursday, prior to the service, from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM at the funeral home. Due to the current COVID-19 regulations, our staff is committed to taking care of our guests and families that we serve. Please understand that we will be limiting the amount of people at our chapel for visitations and services. We also ask all guests and family members attending visitations and services to please bring and wear a mask. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.wagesfuneralhome.com. Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, A Family Company, 3705 Highway 78 West, Snellville, GA 30039 (770-979-3200) has been entrusted with the arrangements.