Dr. LaVerne Byrd Smith Obituary (1927 - 2017)

Smith, Dr. LaVerne Byrd, 89, of South Richmond, departed this life on Friday, January 27, 2017. She was the youngest of three daughters born to Charles E. and Lena D. Byrd on December 14, 1927. She was the wife of Lewis "Jackrabbit" Smith from Paris, Texas. After marrying on Thanksgiving Day in 1948, the couple made Richmond, Virginia home and resided in the north Richmond community. Lewis Smith preceded her in death in 1997. Dr. Smith has been a member of First Baptist Church South Richmond since 1937. Baptized by Dr. William C. Ransome, she was active in many of the church programs and after retiring in her professional career in 1990, she became the church historian (1991-2001) and served with the church's History Committee to write and publish several history volumes of "Traveling On" ..., the history of First Baptist Church South Richmond. Dr. Smith attended Richmond Public Schools' Paul Lawrence Dunbar Elementary and Middle School (Blackwell Elementary) and graduated in 1944 from Armstrong High School. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Education (1948) from Virginia Union University; Master of Science in Educational Psychology and Reading (1964) from Virginia State College (University); and her Ph. D in Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland in 1985. She also engaged in additional graduate studies at the College of William and Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, The University of Virginia and Harvard University. She was a dedicated educator, civil rights activist, and writer. As a certified elementary and secondary education teacher, she began her career in 1944 with Booker T. Washington Elementary, then Navy Hill Elementary. In1951, she transferred to West End Elementary and became instrumental in the creation of a major school recital production entitled, "Panorama of Science" for Richmond Public Schools which involved the participation and performance of 300 students on the subject of science. Following years of teaching in the public schools classroom and on university campuses, she joined the Virginia Department of Education and served 16 years under the governors Holton, Dalton, Robb and Baliles administrations. She became the State Supervisor of Reading and Language Development for programs across the state of Virginia and developed the first statewide conference on Reading in Virginia, which continued for 11 years. She began a new path for herself, writing columns with the Richmond Afro-American and Richmond Planet newspaper (1993-1996), authoring several volumes of the history of the First Baptist Church South Richmond (1993 &1999 published) and publishing booklets and books of her poetry 1997- 2009. (The Blessed Gentle Beast, Poetry for Growing: Kindergarten through Kollege, Poems of Indignation: Revisiting 20th Century Civil Rights and Black Awareness Movements, Pokey the Playful Whale, Virginia: This is Your Life 1907-1970, School Desegregation Crisis In Virginia). Dr. Smith contributed her time and talents to many organizations as well as received countless honors, including international awards and recognition, for her extraordinary works. She is survived by nephews, Charles I. Story and Silas Elwood York, Jr (Angie).; nieces, Rhonda S. Brandon (Kevin) and Barbara Hall; cousins Londella Hamilton and David Hamilton; a host of grand and great nieces and nephews; a God-son, Todd Lee; her chosen children - Charles Augustono, Marty Jewell, Nat Lee, Jr., Dennis Winston, Marilyn Campbell, Emma Lofton, Lelia Snell, and Carmen Foster. Her loving sisters Elizabeth B. York and Geraldine B. Story also preceded her in death. She will lovingly be remembered by a host of relatives, students, and friends. Her remains rest at Mimms Funeral Home, 1827 Hull Street, where the family will receive visitors from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Thursday, February 2nd. We will celebrate her life at on Friday, February 3rd, at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 1501 Decatur Street; interment at Forest Lawn Cemetery. To enhance the lives of others through education, we ask that you consider donating to Virginia Union University, 1500 N. Lombardy Street, Richmond, VA 23220.