Robernette Johnson Smith

OBITUARY Robernette Michelle Johnson Smith was born in Baltimore on June 26, 1947 to Robert Earl Johnson and Lillian Pinder Johnson. Robbye, as she was known to friends and family, was the youngest of five children. She grew up in West Baltimore and attended Baltimore City schools, graduating from Forest Park High School in 1964. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University in 1968. After attending the University of Pittsburgh to earn her Master of Library Science, she returned to Baltimore and started her career at Enoch Pratt Free Library Branch 17, not far from her childhood home. While working there, a mutual friend introduced her to Ronald Smith; they married in 1971, and the union produced one daughter, Tamara. Robbye grew up in a musical family, and she sang for most of her life – her lilting soprano was a constant in church choirs and at family gatherings. Her talents gave her the opportunity to fulfill her long-held dream of traveling to the Holy Land; in 1996, she went to Israel as part of a concert choir to participate in a global music festival. She met singers from around the world and marveled at hearing the hymns she grew up singing interpreted in other languages like Hebrew, Polish, Spanish, and Fijian. Robbye spent nearly 40 years in libraries, most of them as a reference librarian at Coppin State University. She taught thousands of students how to do research, and many of those students went on to become social workers, nurses, and teachers in the Baltimore area. With warmth and patience (plus the occasional nudge), she provided a sympathetic ear when needed and encouraged her students to seize every opportunity they could. Even after graduating, many students came back to visit and let her know how well they were doing. At the end of her life, she was delighted to discover that some of her nurses were Coppin graduates – they remembered her and took great care of her. After she retired as Head of Reference in 2014, Robbye devoted her time to reading, journaling, listening to good music, serving her church, and spending time with family. Robbye departed this life on April 15, 2025 at the FutureCare Old Court nursing facility. She is survived by her daughter, Tamara F. Smith, and a host of other family and friends.

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Robernette Johnson Smith

June 26, 1947 - April 15, 2025