Biography: Shirley Adair Smith of Little Rock, Arkansas moved on to her next place September 6, 2019. She went on her own terms surrounded by her family in the home she and her husband shared for twenty years.

She was born October 5, 1934, in Antlers, Oklahoma, to Helen Catherine Talley and Lewell Siedell “Jack” Adair. As a young girl, Shirley moved with her parents to Fort Smith, Arkansas. She later attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where she met the love of her life, Fletcher Bodky Smith of Camden, Arkansas. They were married August 18, 1956 after her college graduation.

Shirley and Fletcher raised their sons in Pine Bluff and Crossett, Arkansas and in Zachary, Louisiana. She has missed Fletch desperately since his death in 2013, and not just because he did all the cooking. They shared a happy sense of humor and a love of dancing, but most importantly they enjoyed truly special relationships with a tight-knit group of lifelong friends. By middle age, they and several others among their Crossett Supper Club had moved to Little Rock where they continued to nourish their close ties. Many of Shirley’s most beloved friends have been in her life for well over fifty years. The family is grateful for their generous help and emotional support during Shirley’s final days.

Shirley adored both of her sons and doted on her only grandchild. She also loved the children and grandchildren of her friends, proudly displaying their photos in her home. She was the best mother-in-law a person could hope to have. She was exceptionally kind and thoughtful. Shirley always dressed beautifully. She read voraciously.

Her sons, Fletcher B. “Skip” Smith, Jr. ( Jane Sexton Planchon) of Little Rock and Matthew A. Smith and his wife, Yang Su Feng of Taipei, Taiwan already miss her terribly, as does her adored and adoring grandson, Fletcher B. “Jack” Smith III. Her former daughter -in-law and special friend, Anne Orsi of Little Rock , and her dear companion Alma Dennis, deeply grieve her loss.

A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 1 p.m. in St. Mark's Episcopal Church followed by a burial of ashes in the church columbarium.

Memorials may be made to St. Mark’s or to the donor’s favorite charity. Those who knew and loved her are encouraged to raise a glass of chilled white wine in her honor.