Doris Irene Bowers Smith, 88, of Ruther Glen, Virginia, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully April 5, 2010. She was the loving wife of the late Millard Andrew Smith, Sr. Born in Dawn, Virginia, she graduated from Edmund Pendleton High School in 1938 and was married the same year. She was a member of Concord Baptist Church for over 30 years and a member of Wright's Chapel United Methodist Church for over 50 years, where she sang in the choir, acted as church treasurer, taught Sunday School and supported mission work. Doris also provided the altar flowers for the worship services for many years. Her faith was important to her and she had many experiences and lessons that she shared. She was a member of the Town and Country Woman's Club and was a lifetime member of the Caroline County Farm Bureau. She and Millard enjoyed traveling with Farm Bureau friends to conferences and conventions nationwide. Doris considered her most important role in life that of caring for her five children and along with her husband, teaching them to honor and respect virtue. She spent much of her time organizing family gatherings, writing notes, reading, caring for both her family and ancestral home and gardens. She knew how to transform a house into a home. She showed respect for the old and had an artistic ability in all that she did. She was an avid gardener, planting both the heirloom varieties and trying the latest hybrids. She was an eclectic decorator, mixing her appreciation for antiques with the latest fabrics. Her fashion sense demonstrated that as well. She loved music, encouraged it in her children, and it was an integral part of family gatherings. She was adventurous and she was fun.
Doris is survived by children, Sandra Stevens, and husband, Charles, Millard A. Smith, Jr. and wife, Roxanne, all of Ruther Glen, Ronald Smith and wife, Claire, of Ashland, Doris Angela Poore and husband, Preston, of Woodford, and Yolanda Robin Teschner and husband, George, of Gloucester; her grandchildren, Rene Womack and husband, Jim, Andrea Smith and friend, Frankie Gouldin, Rhonda Smith, Deirdre Ownby, Hugh Stevens and wife, Lynn, Andrew Smith and wife, Crystal, Jason Smith and wife, Lori, Caroline Henke and husband, Jon, Lans Linden, Sarah Phelps, Kirsten Moody, David Poore, Gabrielle, Brianna, Raphaella, Dietrich and Soraya Teschner; and nine great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister and lifelong friend, Muriel B. Crawley; sister-in-law, Norma Bowers; and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the special nurses and aides for their compassion and sensitivity during her stay at Bowling Green Healthcare.
A funeral service will be held 3 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2010 at Concord Baptist Church, 15625 Concord Road, Ruther Glen, Va. 22546. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at Storke Funeral Home. The family requests memorial contributions be made to Wright's Chapel United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 193, Ladysmith, Va. 22501.
Sign register book online at www.storkefuneralhome.com.