Viola May Smith was born in Vinita, Oklahoma on May 15, 1916, and entered into the Lord's nearer presence in Tulsa on February 14, 2010. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Douglas M. Smith; her parents, William A. Parker and Mary Ellen (Chamberlin) Parker; and her brothers, Norman E. Parker, William R. Parker, Nelson Parker, and Charles L. Parker. She is survived by her son, Douglas M. Smith, Jr., of Tulsa; her granddaughter, Lindsay K. Smith, of Washington, DC; her sisters, Martha Parker of Tulsa and Jane Erwin of Portland, Oregon; and many, much-loved nieces and nephews and their children. Viola grew up in Chelsea, Oklahoma before the family moved to Tulsa in the 1920's. She attended Wilson Junior High and Central High School, where she played in the band and was a member of the Suzettes. Upon graduation, she worked as a secretary at Harrington's Clothing Store. She and Doug were married in First Methodist Church on June 20, 1941. With the beginning of World War II, the couple moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Doug was stationed with the Navy before being deployed to Scotland and the South Pacific. Upon the war's end, the couple returned to Tulsa, where they helped to start Second Presbyterian Church. In 1964, the family moved to Oklahoma City, and Viola was very involved in activities at Chapel Hill Methodist Church, and with the Cub Scouts and the John Marshall High School Band. She took up oil painting in the 1960's and her family is graced with many of her works in their homes. She learned to snow ski at the age of 55, on a Chapel Hill youth ski trip. Doug and Vi returned to Tulsa in 1998, where they attended First Presbyterian Church. They were also avid University of Tulsa football fans, and held season tickets from the end of World War II until Doug's death in 2004. We will always remember Vi as a woman of great faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and as a loving mother, grandmother, family member and friend. Her quiet, strong character and sense of what was really important in life remain an inspiration to all of us who were blessed to know her. A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 19, 2010, at 9:30 AM, in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dr. James D. Miller officiating. There will also be a graveside interment at Memorial Park Cemetery on Thursday at 3:00 PM. Stanleys Funeral Home. This obituary was published in the Tulsa World on 2/17/2010.