For decades, Mary Smith, the first woman to own and operate three funeral homes in Illinois, comforted the community through their losses. Now, after Smith died June 6, the West Side is mourning the trailblazer and respected community member.
Smith was a beloved sister, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. She was surrounded by her family as she passed peacefully at her home. Born in Dumas, Arkansas, Smith built an undeniable and lasting legacy in the Chicagoland area after moving here in 1957.
Smith was a devout Jehovah’s Witness and her destiny was shaped by loss in her own life. Having experienced the deaths of her parents, husband, son, grandson and siblings, Smith channeled this pain into “a ministry of comfort,” according to a press release announcing her death.
Smith opened the flagship Smith & Thomas funeral home on West Madison Street and went on to own and operate three successful funeral homes over the following four decades. She became the first and only woman in Illinois to accomplish such a feat. Smith’s career “shattered glass ceilings and redefined leadership in the industry,” the press release said.
Rev. Ira Acree, lead pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, met Smith as a young pastor and over the years, Smith helped prepare final arrangements for many of his family members, as well as church and community members. Acree said it took a special sense of determination for Smith to pursue something that had never been done before.
“She was a visionary,” Acree said. “She didn’t just see what was. She saw what could be and built a legacy.”
With an unmistakable professionalism and a profound sense of empathy, Smith went on to help countless families and community members as they dealt with perhaps the most difficult moments of their lives. She made it her personal mission to “ensure that every family — regardless of circumstance — could honor their loved ones with grace, dignity, and care,” according to the press release.
“Her heart beat for the hurting, and she served families with unmatched empathy,” Acree said.”
Smith’s genuine style did not go unnoticed by the community. Over the course of her career, she received numerous awards, recognitions and tributes. Her name is memorialized on a portion of Madison Street, called Smith & Thomas Way. Two major Illinois cemeteries have also named roads on their grounds “Mary Smith Way.”
Rev. Mashall Hatch, pastor at New Mount Pilgrim Church, said Smith was a “staple in the community” and the West Side will never forget her memory.
“People like her are missed when they’re gone, but probably never completely replaced,” Hatch said.
