Mary Elizabeth "Judy" Smith, age 86, passed away on January 30, 2026. Judy would want it clearly stated that she died of "trifling old age"—nothing dramatic, just worn out from a long, hard, well-lived life. She was born on July 18, 1939, and when asked why she was called Judy instead of Mary Elizabeth, her mother said that "Mary Elizabeth was too big a name for such a small girl." Judy carried that story—and her name—with her trademark grin.

Judy worked on a farm from a young age, where she learned to cook, sew, her hard work ethic, and to take care of people—skills she would spend a lifetime perfecting. She helped raise her younger sisters and ran a household long before it was fair to ask such things of a child. Judy didn't have an easy life, and the aches she carried came honestly from doing the work that needed to be done.

She eventually met Robert Campbell "Bobby" Smith, and the two of them spent nearly 69 years taking care of one another—sometimes stubbornly, sometimes tenderly, always faithfully. Judy's heart broke three times in her life: when she lost her beautiful and devoted daughter Kathie, her handsome and riotous son Jeff, and finally her beloved husband Bobby. Any one of those losses could have stopped her—but Judy was not known for stopping.

Her life was marked by suffering, but quitting was never her style. Many people swore Judy had nine lives, because no matter what knocked her down, she got back up—often with a sharp remark. She was a self-taught painter and seamstress, endlessly creative, and never impressed by fuss or pretense. If something could be fixed, she fixed it.

Judy loved her family deeply even when life gave her plenty of reasons not to. Her legacy reminds us that you can endure, keep moving forward, and still find room for humor—even in the middle of heartbreak. If Judy taught us anything, it's that there's usually a joke hiding somewhere… or an old southern humorous colloquialism (i.e. it's hotter than 40 hells in this apartment).

Judy was preceded in death by her husband Robert Campbell "Bobby" Smith; her daughter, Kathie D. Kilbourn; her son, Jeff C. Smith; her parents, Clyde and Lady Will Morrow; and Judy's siblings, Jean, JoAnn, Neal, Donna, and Connie.

She is survived by her son-in-law, Andy Kilbourn; her grandchildren, Adam (Anna) Kilbourn and Rachel Kilbourn; and her great-grandchildren, Sydney Kilbourn, Brynley Kilbourn, and Katie James Kilbourn.

The family is deeply thankful for Judy's close friends who lovingly watched over her, especially Judy Bustamante, Martin Bustamante, and Denise Brown

Services and burial will be held at Maplewood Cemetery in Pulaski, Tennessee, on Friday, February 6, 2026 at 10:00.