Lucille Helms Smith

Lucille Helms Smith, the youngest of nine children, born to Branard and Lilian Helms, née Murphy on the 22nd of November, 1924 in Radford, Virginia. Branard supported his large family as a brakeman for the railroad. Lilian worked in service of the Radford/Roanoke Virginian aristocracy. The Helms family maintained a well-kept white framed home with an abundant vegetable garden and a few hogs and chickens in the backyard. Lucy, as she was affectionately known growing up, was the sparkle of her parents’ eye and the coveted sibling of her older brothers and sisters. She attended grade school in Radford. During the summers of her youth, Lucy took advantage of her father’s rail benefits and rode the train to Washington, D.C. to spend her vacations with her big brothers and their young families. They encouraged her to remain in D.C. to attend Banneker JHS. In 1938, Lucy returned to Virginia to matriculate at the historic Christiansburg Institute (CI) where the University of Virginia is now located. Like many schools of that era, CI was founded to educate the newly freed slaves in southwestern Virginia. As a proud CI alumna, Lucy applied her learned skills in raising her future family. After graduation and at the end of World War II, Branard’s and Lilian’s baby daughter returned to Washington to start her life as a woman. She worked at Woodward & Lothrop department store as an elevator operator while she awaited the results of her application to Freedmen’s Nursing School (now, Howard University School of Nursing). During her second year of nursing school, she met the dashing Raymond Alexander Smith, a recent Navy veteran and engineering student at Howard University. After a brief courtship, they betrothed and married at Israel Baptist Church (IBC) in 1950. Lucy hung up her stethoscope and tied on an apron. “Ray” was very active at IBC. He, soon, became the president of the church usher board. He and Lucy, by this time she preferred to be called “Cile,” were attending church socials and meetings while she was pregnant. In early 1951, the handsome couple bought their first home on the banks of the Anacostia River and their first child, Michael, was born in May. Cile took pride in her home. She never forgot her southern roots. She created a vegetable garden of tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers in the backyard. She designed an award-winning flower garden on the side of their corner home. Her mother, Miss Lilian, would visit and they shopped at D.C.’s famous Farmers’ Market where they bought live chickens. Cile plucked fresh vegetables from her garden, and Miss Lilian plucked the feathers from her fresh kill. When Ray arrived home from work, the whole family ate a good home-cooked meal. The further Ray rose in the ranks of the church, the more meetings he attended and the bigger their family became. Ray’s and Cile’s first daughter, Michelle (Shellie), was born in 1953. The Smith family vacations became a tradition of attending the Interdenominational Church Ushers Association (ICUA) conventions throughout the nation. During the days of “Jim Crow”, the young family neither had an air condition car nor the ability to stay in hotels, motels and eat in public restaurants. Cile was world renowned for her resourcefulness. She baked and prepared enough provisions for the family to stay nourished. The only time the family stopped was to enjoy the scenery, gas and to use the restroom. They ate their meals in parks. When Ray became the first vice president of the ICUA, he bought a Volkswagen bus and the family, which now included Craig (Ricky), Antoinette (Toni), and Pamela (Pam), made its epic cross-country trip along with fellow usher and family friend, Mrs. Carrie Chapman to San Francisco, California. Cile had Ray to stop at roadside vegetable stands where she and Carrie bought fresh provisions. The Smith caravan visited the national parks of the great west and camped-out at the Yellowstone Park. Like Jesus in Matthew 15:36, Ray would give Cile a small check, and she made miracles happen. She was creative and talented with planning meals and clothing her family. She was a genius with a sewing machine. Cile made curtains for her kitchen and dresses for her daughters. She upholstered her furniture and painted. The in-home seamstress taught her sons how to mend their clothes. Extended family and friends looked forward to her meals and made excuses to “just happen to be in the neighborhood” during dinner-time. In 1973, Ray answered the call to the ministry and, later, became the pastor of the First Guiding Star Baptist Church (GSBC) in Brookland, DC. As GSBC’s First Lady, she held down that awesome responsibility while, also, being the First Lady of the newly-elected president of the ICUA. The First Lady accompanied her husband to South Korea to represent the ICUA. During that period, nothing became easier for her because “Pastor Ray” began to lose his eyesight and his general health became compromised. As the years progressed, her children began to take a more active role at home and the church. Antoinette became an assistant pastor to her father and Michael served his parents as a trustee and maintained the church facility. Cile made sure that the whole family supported the church. In 1998, GSBC celebrated the life and homegoing of Pastor Ray. Shortly afterward, Antoinette “Pastor Toni” Smith succeeded him. Early in the new millennium, Cile was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. She asked her son, Michael, to promise to never institutionalize her. In the following years, Michael and his wife Alfreda took her to the far reaches of the world. She was taken to Hawaii to visit Pearl Harbor where Ray was stationed during World War II. Cile went to Sydney, Australia and saw kangaroos and koala bears. In planning a trip for her to Africa and China, it was determined that her health would not permit it. On Palm Sunday, 2017, Cile went home to our heavenly Father, peacefully. Let it be known that she always remained at home and that her later years were filled with undying family love and support. It is believed that the environment created for her was the reason for her extended life. The family would like to express a special recognition to Cile’s eldest daughter, Michelle, for her love, commitment and personal sacrifice to the family matriarch. Lucille Helms Smith is survived by children: Michael and Alfreda Layne Smith, Michelle Smith Freeman, Craig and Sharon Smalls-Smith, Pastor Antoinette Smith, Raymond Sneed, John and Pamela Smith Darby. Grandchildren: Antoinette Darby Parker, Jason Parker, Kia Darby, Gannon & Tiffany Sneed, Jessica Darby, Marcus, Delmar & Natasha Freeman, Brent Smith, Shari Smith, Edward Freeman, Kaylyn Darby. Great Grandchildren: Isaiah Wright, Jason Parker Jr, John Michael Parker, Jaylyn Parker, Marcus Stokes Jr, Mason Stokes, Baby Stokes, Alexa Sneed, Ivy Sneed, Mia Sneed, Brooke Freeman, Baby Stokes (expected). She was the last family member of the “Greatest Generation,” Aunt Lucy is, also, survived by a whole host of nieces and nephews, in addition to dear friends, neighbors and special caregivers.

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Lucille Helms Smith

November 22, 1924 - April 9, 2017