Pearl L. Smith

PEARL greeted Hannah and Ernest Dixon on September 15, 1917 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was the youngest of seven children. On April 27, 2006, God moved in glory, stretched out His hand and called his servant Pearl home to sweet peace and eternal rest. Pearl came to Baltimore at a tender age and attended public schools, where she was an honor student. Pearl was gifted with an ear for music. She played the piano and sang on the choir at the Methodist church where she was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1933, Pearl met and married the late William Smith, Sr. From this union there were eight children, four boys and four girls. “Bill” as he was affectionately known, was the love of her life. They were married forty-four years before he departed home to the Lord. Bill was a devout Catholic. Pearl converted to Catholicism shortly after his death. She attended St. Martin’s Catholic Church where her boys were the first black altar boys in Baltimore City. Pearl always made sure her children attended church, being baptized, making their first Holy Communion and getting their Confirmation. In her later years, she attended All Saints Roman Catholic Church, where she is currently a member in good standing. Pearl loved to cook and took pride in her homemaking skills. She baked hot biscuits each and every Sunday for her family. We often kidded her about being the original “Mrs. Smith” because neighbors far and near requested her hot rolls. Pears was a PTA mom. She was a mom who helped the medicine go down and helped you swallow the bitter pill. Whether or not that bitter pill was a failing grade, bad SAT scores, not getting into college, bad relationship or marriage or one of the grandchildren got into trouble, Mom was there. Long before it became a fad, Mom knew “it takes a village to raise a child.” She worried about our family name and reputation. Therefore she stayed connected to the neighborhood community association , so if anyone saw the Smith children doing something wrong, the news got home before we did. Pearl and Bill had no problem dealing with the issue at hand. They were adept to laying hands on us before the church got to us. Pearl was a member of the NAACP. She did not mind lifting her voice against injustice in the community. Pearl assisted in raising her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You could never forget hearing her say, “Things done by halves are never done right.” She was a Mom who wiped your bottom, kept you on your toes, didn’t let you fall on your head, rubbed your tummy when it hurt and wiped the tears away. She loved to shop and could manage a dollar. She made us feel we were rich, never broke, just a little cracked. She loved to travel. She befriended the stewardesses on United Airlines from Puerto Rico, Mexico to Hawaii. She was affectionately known as “Sugarpie,” a name bestowed upon her by her oldest and beloved grandson, Mark. She was never a sickly woman. Her first illness and hospitalization occurred this February of this year. She has been truly blessed and will join her husband, faithful daughter Regina and son Melvin. Pearl leaves the following nation of God’s kins-people to cherish her memory: seven children, Anita Thompson, Muriel Richardson, Paul Smith, William A. Smith Jr., Nathaniel Smith, Darleen Smith and Gregory Smith; three daughters-in-law, Iris Smith, Mary Regina Smith and Peaches Smith; son-in-law, Leodis Richardson Sr.; thirty-three grandchildren, Mark, Maria, Joseph, Stephen, Susan, Cassandra, Eric and Tara, Camille and Laurence, Patricia, Dawn, Michael and Bonnie, Michele, Regina, Vanessa and Harrison, Darryl and Emily, Charles and Eunice, Gregory, Leodis and Debra, Nathan, Sherrie, Paula, Hannah, Elsa, Amolia, Valda, Lea, Crystal, Natalie, Christopher, Shahadah, Michael, Monique, Parris and George and Tiffiny; a host of great-grandchildren, Jerelle, DeMitre, Demarco, Diana, the late Ryan, Aaron, Brandi, Avery, Tia, Parker, Payton, Ericka, Marcus, Matthew, Devon, Derrek, Gerrod, Gerret, Dominique, Julian, Natasha, Andrea, James, Charles, Charaya, Nakyta, Charles, Marquis, Joshua, Chamell, David, Kennedy, Kendra, Kellie, Delisa, Jhohae, Cassandra, Gregary and Montray; great-great-grandchildren, Aryanna and Charles; niece, Delores Dean-McGill; great-nieces and-nephews, Gregory, Dale, Keith, Leonard, Stephen, Ivan, Berdette and Charles.

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Pearl L. Smith

September 15, 1917 - April 27, 2006