Ronald Edward Rodgers

Memorial services for Ronald Edward Rodgers of Memphis, formerly of Greenwood, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

Mr. Rodgers, who was born on Dec. 10, 1953, and spent most of his life in Greenwood, died in hospice care in Memphis on Aug. 10, 2022. He moved to the city several years ago in part to be near its musical opportunities, including performances of Opera Memphis.

In Greenwood, he was a fixture for decades at the Leflore County Courthouse. As a telephone operator, Mr. Rodgers was seated in the courthouse’s central hallway, where he was available to direct visitors to various offices.

Mr. Rodgers’ friends called him “Ronnie.” He served as a member of the choir at the Church of the Nativity, and he also sang with the Greenwood Chorale. He was well-known for his devotion to cats.

The Rev. Don Chancellor, rector of the church, will officiate at the services.

Memorials may be made to the  church, the Leflore County Humane Society and Opera Memphis, P.O. Box 40999, Memphis, TN 38174.

A Good Cause For Fun: Celebrity Waiter Dinner Will Benefit Community Kitchen

A beloved annual event in Greenwood benefiting the Community Kitchen will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23 at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

The Celebrity Waiter Dinner, which this year has a Hawaiian luau theme, promises fun and laughter for a good cause.

“The Celebrity Waiter Dinner is the Kitchen’s only big fundraiser,” said Jenny Thompson, fundraising chairman. “The Kitchen is where my heart is, and people love it. They look forward to it every year.”

“Our community needs the Kitchen, and the Kitchen needs money,” said Freda Maxey, the Community Kitchen’s financial officer. “People do not mind donating to it.”

This is the 15th year of the Celebrity Waiter Dinner, which has changed venues at various times over the years. It is the fifth year for Maxey and Thompson to organize the event, which will again host 200 guests. This is the second year the dinner has been held in the Parish Hall of the Church of the Nativity. Though no hard liquor will be served, beer and wine will be. 

All proceeds go to the Community Kitchen, which is located at 200 E. Johnson St.

Tickets for this year’s dinner went on sale in May but plans for the luau have been in the works since last October’s Halloween-themed dinner, which was the biggest ever.

“We raised $30,000 at that Halloween dinner,” enthused Thompson. “If we can hit that number again this year, or even a little higher, we’ll be happy.”

“We are proud of our Community Kitchen,” said Maxey.  “It is challenging and expensive to provide meals daily.”

Inflation has impacted the Community Kitchen, which is now feeding about three times the number of Greenwood residents as it did before the pandemic year of 2020. “Our costs are doubling,” said Maxey.

“We receive generous donations from churches, businesses, and individuals, and we are so grateful for their support,” said Thompson, “but the donations don’t last an entire year. We have food costs, utilities, insurance, and other expenses.”

Tish Goodman, in costume as a Tacky Tourist in Hawaii, displays the Hawaiian-themed sunglasses she will be selling at the upcoming Celebrity Waiter Dinner.

The Kitchen provides lunches daily to as many as 350 people. For many of those served, it is the only meal of the day. Carlee Bailey oversees the Kitchen as executive director. The Kitchen operates in association with its founder, Greenwood Interfaith Ministries.

“I’ve been here since the inception in 2001,” Bailey said. “We moved into this facility in December of 2003. We first fed on the corner where the facility is located. The food was prepared in our homes and plated up at First Presbyterian Church. We are currently feeding more than 300 people per day.”

Lunchtime hours are 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and people are already lining up outside for a to-go lunch at 11 a.m., Bailey said. The Ministries’ bylaws state that no one can be turned away.

“We serve anyone who comes to the door,” said Maxey.

“If there is any food left at 1 p.m., we will provide a second plate,” said Bailey.

The kitchen also accepts donations of clothing. “People can bring their clothes here and we will sort, fold, and put the clothing in baskets out in front,” Bailey said. “They go pretty fast.”

People in many different types of situations benefit from the Community Kitchen. “We are in some cases feeding whole families,” Bailey said. “Caregivers for shut-ins can come and pick up food for their clients.”

Some food is donated from local grocers, churches, organizations, and the Mississippi Food Network, but the increase in cost has still made an impact.

“We have to hunt for things,” said Maxey. “I’m online shopping or going to Jackson to find things and it’s all higher.”

The Celebrity Waiter Dinner was established as a means of bringing much-needed money to the Community Kitchen. Tish Goodman, who will again serve as a waitress this year, has participated in just about every dinner since the beginning.

“I do not sing, I do not dance,” she said, dressing up in her luau costume. “This year I am going as a Tacky Tourist in Hawaii. My whole table is dressing up. I’ll have two tables.”

Two tables equal 20 guests, and tickets are priced at $100 each. Only about a dozen tickets were left unsold as of Wednesday afternoon.

“Tish brings them in and raises the money,” said Thompson.

“I am a little bit of an extrovert,” confessed Goodman. “I have a costume closet. One year, I dressed as the Tooth Fairy. Another year, I was a pirate. Last year, I was a witch. I like to dress up, have fun, and benefit the community.”

Goodman will sell sunglasses this year. Last year, she sold “poison.” “I was a witch,” she explained.

The Community Kitchen is located at 200 E. Johnson St. in downtown Greenwood. The Celebrity Waiter Dinner is its main fund-raiser for the year.

Happy Hour begins at 6 p.m., with guests receiving two tokens for free drinks. The meal will be served around 7 p.m. The menu consists of jerk pork chops, pork fried rice, and marinated skewered vegetables. “Our only real cost for putting this on will be the wine,” said Thompson. “Most everything else will be donated, and all the profits go to the Kitchen. Everything is on a volunteer basis.”

The Parish Hall courtyard will be decorated according to the theme, with surfboards, beach balls, and a selfie area. Pledge cards will be available at tables, and the group hopes people will pledge. The fun part, however, will be the service.

“Anything for a tip,” said Thompson. “Our waiters and waitresses will do anything. Did we lose your fork? Oh, here’s another, but it’ll cost you.”

Catsup, salt, pepper, and other necessities will all come at a price. “Everybody knows this,” laughed Thompson.

As to what constitutes a “celebrity,” Goodman said there are two ways of looking at it. “Used to, you had to dress up as an actual ‘celebrity,’ but we kind of ran out of those. Now a ‘celebrity’ is someone people know from around Greenwood — a locally famous person.”

“People love this event, but we work hard,” said Thompson. “We see different people turn up for each year’s event. We’re growing. We always have guests ask us to sign them up for next year.”

Those who buy tables ahead of time will be contacted first for the next year’s event. “I have a list of people to contact,” said Thompson. “I am also always calling asking for donations. I am not afraid to ask.”

Maxey said guests will get their $100 worth of entertainment. “It’s first-class,” she said. “We have white tablecloths and white linen napkins, real silverware. We don’t use any paper or plastic.”

The two organizers expressed their appreciation to those who donate to the Community Kitchen and participate in the dinner. They are already looking forward to 2023’s event, though they won’t reveal its theme.

Like Maxey, Thompson, and Goodman, Bailey said she derives personal satisfaction from helping others in need.

“Gratification!” she said, explaining why she works for the Kitchen. “It feels so good. I love helping people.”

Cleveland Native Establishing Roots In Greenwood

Things have always seemed to fall into place for Gib Ellis.

He and his wife, Olivia, moved to Greenwood in 2016. They have twin children, Austin and Mary Pope, who recently turned 2 years old.

“It was just something that fell on our lap,” said Ellis on moving to Greenwood.

Ellis was born and raised in Cleveland and graduated from Bayou Academy in 2008. 

After attending Mississippi Delta Community College, he graduated from Mississippi State University, the school he always wanted to attend while growing up.

He said that while his parents are alumni of Delta State University, he always had a connection to Mississippi State and loved visiting Starkville to see his aunt and uncle. 

He began dating Olivia in 2010 after knowing her for several years. 

After getting married, he said the two moved to Sumner and commuted to their jobs. Olivia was a teacher at Lee Academy in Clarksdale while he worked at Nutrien Ag Solutions in Charleston, where he still works today.

An opportunity for Olivia to teach at Pillow Academy opened up the possibility of moving to Greenwood.

“Her first cousin lived in Greenwood but was getting ready to move to Nashville,” Ellis said. “He was like, ‘Look, I’m getting ready to move. If you want to buy my house, I’ll sell it to you what I paid for it.’ The stars kind of aligned perfectly for us. She was able to get an opportunity working in Greenwood. A house literally fell in our lap. My commute was going to be about the same either way.”

He said he has an office in Charleston but only spends about 25% of his working time there. 

“Basically, my office is my truck,” he said.

He said his service area includes Philipp, Webb, Sumner and Charleston where he works with farmers in the field of agricultural retail. 

“I service local farmers with all their input needs like chemical fertilizer,” he said. 

After two years of being a father, he said the feeling is “incredible. It’s the best feeling ever.”

Ellis said he and his family enjoy Greenwood, and while the future can’t be predicted, his family has established roots here, and they plan to let them grow.

He and his family attend Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

Breaux, Junkin To Exchange Vows June 18

Myles Jude Breaux of Houma, Louisiana, and Mr. and Mrs. Danny Walker of Greenwood, announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter Lindsi Nicole Breaux  of Greenwood, to Matthew Cade Junkin of Indianola.

The prospective bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Tyrone Junkin Jr. 

He is the grandson of Betty Junkin and Devra Steadman, both of Cleveland.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Francis Breaux of Houma, Louisiana, and Mr. and Mrs. Billy Walker of Greenwood.

Miss Breaux is a 2015 graduate of Pillow Academy.

She is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where she was a Phi Mu pledge. She received a degree in elementary education.

She is employed at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary in Starkville

Mr. Junkin is a 2015 graduate of Indianola Academy. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He received a degree in accounting. 

He is employed at Community Bank of Indianola.

The couple will exchange vows at 6 p.m. on June 18 at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood. 

The Rev. Don Chancellor will officiate.

A reception will follow at Greenwood Country Club.

Greenwood Chorale To Present ‘A Night At The Movies’

The Greenwood Chorale is gearing up for its upcoming performance, “A Night at the Movies.”

The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity’s Parish Hall.

The performance will include recognizable songs from motion pictures, from current films to movies from the ’30s and ’40s. 

The Greenwood Chorale, comprised of singers from across the Delta, offers two performances each season, typically a fall and spring concert. The concerts are free to the public. 

“For a small town, Greenwood has a lot to offer, and this is just another example of that. We have a wide range of talent,” said Paul Brown, the chorale’s director. “The chorale is just another way of tapping into that local resource, and it’s a way to provide not just entertainment to the community but also exposure to the performing arts and help build music appreciation in the community.”

The concerts feature a wide variety of music — from sacred to secular, covering a broad spectrum of musical periods and genres. 

Typically, the fall concert features sacred or classical music, and the spring concert offers a lighter performance.

Last fall, the chorale performed a holiday concert, “The Sounds of Christmas.” This was the first performance since 2019 because of the pandemic.

“We wanted to do something light, fun and entertaining this spring, so we went with movie music,” said Brown.

He said “A Night at the Movies” will include music from films that premiered during the golden age of Hollywood, such as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Singing in the Rain.” It will also include songs from popular 1970s and 1980s movies up to movies in the 2000s and more current films, such as the Disney animated movie “Frozen.” 

“It’s definitely a family friendly concert,” said Brown, who began directing the chorale in 2017. “There’s a good variety.”

Brown will be playing the piano for the concert and directing. Dr. Josh Armstrong from Delta State University will be the percussionist.

“I always enjoy the spring concert,” said Dr. Erin Jacobs Stagner, a member of the Greenwood Chorale. “The spring concerts are fun and lighter and music that everybody knows. You look up from your sheet music, and people are singing along.”

Stagner, a Greenwood chiropractor, joined the chorale in 2017. She grew up singing in church, and the chorale provided another setting for her to express her love of music and singing.

“It’s just another way for people who have like interests in music to meet, and everybody can come together and share their enjoyment and their love of music in an atmosphere that is good for the community, too,” she said.

She is looking forward to performing the Dolly Parton hit “9 to 5” in the upcoming concert. “Dolly makes everything better,” she said with a laugh.

The first meeting for the Greenwood Chorale was held in 2011 with Ray Smithee as its director.

Brown said membership fluctuates from season to season but usually includes 20 to 30 members. There will be 22 members performing in the Tuesday concert. 

“Most of the time, the new members we get are through word of mouth from other members,” said Brown. “The group for the most part is self-recruiting.” 

He added that the chorale is open to anyone who wants to join. During its season, members rehearse once a week on Tuesday evenings.

The chorale includes not only Greenwood residents but also members from other cities in the Delta, such as Leland, Indianola and Cleveland. The members have a wide range of musical backgrounds and experience.

“We have folks who have very extensive music backgrounds either from school or in their community or church choir, and then you have other folks who have very little music experience and just enjoy being part of the group and singing in the choir,” said Brown.

Dallas Baker joined the chorale in the fall. 

Baker is new in Greenwood. His job at The Johnson-McAdams Firm brought him to the area.

He was recruited to join by his colleague Becky Palmer, who is a Greenwood Chorale officer.

“She was encouraging me to get involved in the community,” said Baker. 

He said he had a good experience performing in the fall concert, but being in the chorale didn’t come easy to him.

“The last time I was in any chorus was with a youth group choir at church, which was many years ago,” he said. “I know how to read sheet music because I was in the junior high band, but I had never been a part of a real serious adult choir. I did not know how to read sheet music to the level I needed. So I found it to be very challenging for me.” 

Other members and the director helped Baker out. 

“Paul Brown and my choir mates have really been generous and helpful in being patient with me and bringing me up to speed,” he said.

Baker is looking forward to the upcoming concert. He said his favorite song that will be featured in the concert is “Over the Rainbow.” “We sang ‘Over the Rainbow’ in kids choir at school. It just reminded me of that childhood memory.”

Baker said Greenwood reminds him of his childhood in the ’70s and ’80s in Oxford.

“My mom was big into choir at church and in the Oxford Community Band,” he said. Being in the chorale, “in a way is a nod to Mom’s small town involvement.”

The Greenwood Chorale “adds culture and a sense of community to what Greenwood has to offer,” Baker added. “It fits right into the hospitality of Greenwood to me. Folks care enough to put this on for the town.”

Brown said it’s a rewarding experience to direct the chorale.

“Really it’s like teaching,” he said. “You’re teaching that music. You’re teaching not just the notes themselves but how to put it together, how to express it. I’ve always enjoyed that, whether it’s music or otherwise.”

He also enjoys the teamwork involved in preparing for a concert.

“You have this challenge in front of you, and as a group you’re working to meet that challenge,” he said. “You all arrive at the end point together. That group achievement of reaching that goal is very rewarding.” 

Dr. George V. Smith

Dr. George V. Smith, 89, passed away Dec. 18, 2021, at his home in Greenwood.  Memorial services will be  at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity with Father Don Chancellor officiating. The committal service will follow at the church columbarium with American Legion Post 29 providing military honors.

He leaves behind his loving wife of 35 years, Mrs. Annie Smith; daughters Suzanne Smith Weed (Jody), of St. Augustine, Florida, and Kimberly Elizabeth Logan (Jason) of Brandon;  son George Paul Russell Smith of St. Augustine; grandson Joseph Dunning Weed III of Kentucky; Maya Topping Weed of New York City and Emily Grace and Ann Elise Logan of Brandon.

The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service in the Rose Room. After the service there will be a celebration of life in the Parrish Hall as requested by Dr. Smith.

Greenwood Delta Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Lynn Billingham Horton

Private funeral services for Lynn Billingham Horton will be held Monday at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood, with the Rev. Don Chancellor officiating. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church.

Lynn Billingham Horton passed away Jan. 3, 2022, at the age of 68 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roland and Molly Billingham. 

Born Oct. 21, 1953, in Gateshead, England, Lynn was the oldest of four children. She completed her training in nursing at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle, England, where she went on to the neurosurgery theatre in York as a nurse.

Lynn later completed her Midwifery training in Hull, England, before pursuing her career in the United States, dedicating 30 years in the labor and delivery unit, mostly at St. John’s Hospital outside of Houston, Texas, where she took great pride in her work.

Above all, she was a loving mother who found her purpose in raising and nurturing her children, whom she tirelessly gave her energy and time to. She loved watching her children play sports, rarely missing a game, practice or recital, and was always enthusiastically heard from the stands. She also found great joy in her role as a grandmother, and she loved her grandkids wholeheartedly.

She enjoyed music, never missed a chance to get on a dance floor and attended many concerts with her friends while living in the Houston area. She was kind, loving, playful, thoughtful, hard-working and tenacious and had an optimistic outlook on life. She leaves a legacy of “big much” love to her family and friends.

She is survived by her children, Phil Horton of Madison  and Katie (Chris) Jones of Greenwood; her grandchildren, Lucas Horton and Olivia Horton of Madison and Reese Jones of Greenwood; her brothers, Barry (Sue) Billingham of Newcastle, England, Roland (Margaret) Billingham of Gateshead, England, and Michael (Christine) Billingham of Sandbach, England; and her nieces and nephews, Andrew Billingham, Jessica Arthur, Michael Billingham,  Ross Billingham, Kirsty Billingham and Connor Mims, all of Northeast England.

Wilson and Knight Funeral Home is in charge. An online guest book may be signed at www.wilsonandknight.com.

Farmer, Philanthropist, Pillow Co-Founder Hardeman Dies

Robert Taylor Hardeman, a Greenwood farmer and charitable benefactor, died Thursday at his home of complications from Parkinson’s disease.

He was 95.

“He’s always been a very strong, independent loving person. He encouraged everybody to always do their best and follow the paths that are laid out in front of them and helped others,” said Katie Acosta, a granddaughter.

A native of McAlester, Oklahoma, Mr. Hardeman was valedictorian of the New Mexico Military Institute’s Class of 1945 and of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 1949 in Annapolis, Maryland. He married Eleanor Steele Thomas of Greenwood on June 11, 1949.

Mr. Hardeman was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He underwent flight training, served in Korea and later farmed for 40 years.

“In 1967, Mr. Hardeman offered me a job that would forever cement my life and the lives of my family into agriculture,” friend and business partner Buck Harris said in a statement. “Over the next almost 30 years, this working relationship transitioned into a partnership and lifelong friendship. In 1994, Hardeman Harris Planting Co. made one more transition. With Mr. Hardeman’s blessing and help, I began Buck Harris Planting Co. My life was directly and significantly influenced by the generosity of Mr. Bob Hardeman.”

Mike Sturdivant III of Itta Bena, a Glendora farmer, said he had known Mr. Hardeman since their early days of farming in Holmes County near Cruger. 

The two conducted business together, having worked out of the same office in Greenwood, forming a gin in Tchula and developing a computer program for farming operations, Sturdivant said.

Mr. Hardeman was about 20 years older than Sturdivant but “treated me as an equal,” Sturdivant said.

“Just a wonderful, wonderful man (with) a great sense of humor who was very meticulous with his records and somebody you could always go to and get an opinion and advice from,” he said.

Mr. Hardeman was one of the founders of Pillow Academy and  served as president of its board for several years. He served as secretary of the Mississippi District Committee of Kairos, a prison ministry, and as warden of the Delta Episcopal Prison Ministries Board. He also was instrumental in building the indoor exercise pool at Twin Rivers Recreational Center in honor of his wife.

His charitable contributions to Pillow Academy were plentiful, including a donation of $812,000  to the school’s endowment.

The Bob Hardeman Distinguished Mustang Award was named in honor of him and his wife and is given to those who work to create a better future for the school.

He also was an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

Bob Provine, who had known the Hardeman family for more than 60 years, often  referred to Mr. Hardeman as “Uncle Bob.”

“We served together on numerous committees at the Church of Nativity, which he so loved. Uncle Bob was the finest of all gentlemen I have ever known,” Provine said. 

Eleanor Acosta, Mr. Hardeman’s daughter, said, “He loved Greenwood. He loved everything about Greenwood. It was his adopted community. When he married my mother, Greenwood came with the bargain. He was interested in making Greenwood the best place that he could make it. He wanted a good education system. He was very invested in Pillow Academy.”

In addition to his wife, daughter, and granddaughter, Mr. Hardeman is survived by his son, Robert Taylor Hardeman Jr. of Grenada, two other grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A private family service will be held later.

Robert Taylor Hardeman

Robert Taylor Hardeman of Greenwood died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, peacefully at his home. Mr. Hardeman, a retired farmer who remained active in community affairs, was 95 years old. 

The son of Cecil Tolbert Hardeman and Katharine Elizabeth Taylor, he was a native of McAlester, Oklahoma. He attended New Mexico Military Institute for two years and graduated as valedictorian in 1945 and also from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on June 3, 1949. While there he renewed his friendship with Eleanor Steele Thomas, whom he married on June 11, 1949.

He received a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and went through flight training in Pensacola, Florida. He was aircraft carrier qualified as a jet-fighter pilot and served in Korea. He loved flying and was proud of his service in the Marine Corps. 

He was actively engaged in farming for 40 years, first with his brother-in-law, the late J.T. Thomas III, and his father-in-law, the late J.T. Thomas  Jr., farming next on his own and finally in partnership with his manager, his close and good friend of many years, Buck Harris.

Mr. Hardeman was a communicant of the Church of Nativity, was on the vestry many years and served one term as junior warden and two terms as senior warden. He loved his church and served for many years as stewardship chairman.

He served as secretary of the Mississippi District Committee of Kairos, a prison ministry, and as warden of the Delta Episcopal Prison Ministries Board. He served on many Kairos prison teams in an effort to bring Christ to the prisoners in Parchman.

He was one of the founders of Pillow Academy and served as president of its board of directors from 1968 to 1975. He was a founding member of the Pillow Academy Endowment Foundation for Educational Excellence and served as its co-chairman for many years. He felt that Pillow Academy was a real, greatly needed asset in this community and he enjoyed helping to raise the funds necessary to insure its survival.

He loved his adopted community and was involved in many activities in this area. He served as president of the board of directors of Pelucia Drainage District, president of the Mississippi Private School Association and chairman of the Leflore County Republican Party. He served on the board of directors of Holmes Gin, Inc., and on the Deposit Guaranty Bank Advisory Board of Directors in Greenwood. He was a member of Mississippi Farm Bureau, Mississippi Soybean Association, Greenwood Country Club, and a founding member of the Delta Wildlife Foundation. He was instrumental in helping build the indoor heated exercise pool at Twin Rivers Recreational Center in honor of his beloved wife, Steele. 

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Eleanor Steele Hardeman, whom he dearly loved; two children, Eleanor Hardeman Acosta of Greenwood and Robert Taylor Hardeman Jr. of Grenada; three grandchildren, Eleanor Acosta Aldridge (Brad), Joseph Robert Acosta Jr. (Mary Kathryn) and Katharine Elizabeth Taylor Acosta; and three great- grandchildren, Lawson Smith, Mariella Steele Acosta, and Everleigh Sawyer Acosta. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a private family service at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests that contributions be made to the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Pillow Academy or the donors’ favorite charity. 

Wilson & Knight Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. An online guestbook may be signed at www.wilsonandknight.com.

Dr. George V. Smith: 1932-2021: Surgeon Known For His Broad Knowledge

Dr. George V. Smith, a surgeon who spent nearly 20 years of his career in Greenwood, was remembered Monday as a renaissance man with a strong background in medicine and any other topic he tackled.

Dr. Smith, 89, died Saturday from liver cancer. 

He and his wife, Annie, were living in Grenada and operating a private practice when Greenwood Leflore Hospital recruited him in 2002 to join its surgical staff. 

Annie described him as “bigger than life.”

“You have to understand that he was so smart in every subject,” she said. “If he walked in here and you asked him a question about some absurd thing, he was going to tell you how it was made, its background, when it was first invented. If he read it, he learned it.”

Dr. Smith was born in Jackson and was educated at the University of Mississippi and Harvard University medical schools. His general surgical residency was at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, and he also took a transplantation fellowship at the University of Colorado in Denver.

He impressed his colleagues by being able to work in such a difficult field into his 70s and 80s.

“What was remarkable about George was how vigorous he was until his old age,” said Dr. John F. Lucas III, a fellow surgeon in Greenwood and close friend. “We have a clause in the bylaws where after 65, he didn’t have to take call. Well, he was over 65 when he came here, and he took call for the next 17 years, which was an older age than anyone had taken calls.”

Dr. Richard Goldberg became acquainted with Dr. Smith in 2015 and grew to admire his intelligence and conversation.

“He was a surgeon who was doing endoscopy, and I’m a gastroenterologist, so obviously I do endoscopy, so we shared a space for three years until he retired,” Goldberg said.

He said Dr. Smith was “a wonderful person” with a positive demeanor who was always willing to share wisdom and experience. 

“He had just seen so many things in the evolution of medicine,” Goldberg said. “He could tell you about his days as a resident, which were drastically different than the days of my residency. Just to listen to him talk about medicine from 60 years ago, 55 years ago, however the math works out, all the way into the mid-2000s, was really quite remarkable.”

Dr. Smith’s work in medicine didn’t stop with surgery. He taught advanced trauma life support to special forces in the Army National Guard, researched the use of hypothermia to treat cancer and signed a bill with former Mississippi Gov. Bill Waller to have organ donor designations placed on driver’s licenses.

He was competitive and driven to master all topics he came across. He enjoyed playing tennis and golf and learned the histories of both sports in their entirety, his wife said. The two took a trip to Scotland so he could visit golf’s birthplace. 

He also obtained a pilot’s license and developed a love of flying thanks to Annie, who had flown planes since she was young. He enjoyed brewing beer and wine at his home.

Lucas said Dr. Smith was “always willing to go the extra mile.” Early in his career, he got blood spatter in his eye during surgery, infecting him with Hepatitis B, Lucas said.

About nine years ago, Dr. Smith was diagnosed with liver cancer. Annie said she learned  of it when he told her during a trip to Jackson for a biopsy. He took a daily chemotherapy pill that kept the disease in check, but it started to spread this year and reached his bones.

“He knew exactly what was happening to his body, and he in effect took care of his cancer management,” Annie said. “He knew what was going on and what needed to be done. He’d come to terms with it.”

Just weeks before the end of his life, Dr. Smith and his wife became confirmed members of the Episcopal Church. After years of attending Episcopal Church of the Nativity, the two were inducted as Episcopalians at Grace Episcopal Church by a bishop who was visiting. Annie said the induction meant a lot to her husband. 

She remembers him for his intelligence, respect and love for his family. In addition to his wife, Dr. Smith is survived by two daughters, a son and four grandchildren. 

Rather than a traditional funeral, Annie said a celebration of life will be scheduled in the coming weeks as Dr. Smith would have wanted.  

“He knew he was going to die soon and it was going to be during the holidays,” said Lucas. “He did not want his service to interfere with everyone else enjoying their holidays.”