Nancy Lucille Smith

Nancy Lucille Smith, of Beebe, Arkansas, passed away on February 21, 2021. On Monday, March 1, 2021 at Union Valley Baptist Church, family and friends will celebrate her life with a shared meal starting at 12pm with visitation starting at 1pm, followed by funeral services at 2pm.

She was born to the former Lydia Florence Johnson of Fuquay Varina, NC and Billy Gideon Stephenson of Willow Springs, NC on April 22, 1956. Nancy attended elementary school and middle school in the Willow Springs community where she still has a great extended family. She graduated from T.R. Robinson High School in Tampa, FL before joining the Armed Forces in 1974.

She is a 28-year veteran of the Air Force, where she served in logistics and supply, excelling as an airman and becoming highly decorated in the days before women in the Armed Forces was a regular occurrence. She was later transferred to Little Rock Air Force Base and served there until her retirement as Senior Master Sergeant.

After retirement, Nancy later graduated from Harding University with a degree in Social Work and went on to work for the state of Arkansas as a Veterans Affairs Employment Officer where she received several awards for her dedicated commitment to providing employment opportunities for the veteran community.

Smith is survived by her husband, Donald Hollis Smith; her children Katrina Smith, Saundra Grimes, and Donald Smith; her siblings William Stephenson and Donna Stephenson; her grandchildren Jordan Evans, Madalene Benavides, Joseph Montes, Evan Montes, Kaylee Montes, Trip Smith, Dallas Smith, and Dawson Smith; her great-grandchildren Harper Howard, Aurora Howard, and Noah Smith. She is also survived by many other close family and friends.