Mrs. Leith Smith Obituary

Although our hearts are broken, we lift our heads in honor and remembrance as we announce the passing of our beloved Leith Apollone Smith nee Williams, 62, a woman of boundless kindness who ended her fight against endometrial cancer on April 15, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. Leith was a devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and dear friend. Her soul has embarked on her final journey, and her light is now among the stars, a symbolism not lost on anyone who wondered why the moon and sky were so bright on Tuesday. While there’s so much we would have loved to change in her last week with us, please take solace in knowing that during her hospitalization and as she started her decline, she was attended and surrounded by her family round the clock, never alone, night or day, with an ongoing stream of friends and loved ones to offer their support, prayers and encouragement. The last faces she saw and hands that soothed her were those of her husband and son, which we know brought her more immense peace than any drug available.

Born in Mile End, St. Ann, Jamaica, on January 2, 1963, to Claude Williams and Merline nee Davis, parents whom she loved so dearly and cherished in her heart and mind every day since their passing. She wed Alworth Richard Smith on June 29, 1985 in St. Ann, Jamaica, and has been loved by him for their 40+ years together. Along with her husband, Leith is survived by their three children, Nicholas Ewan Smith (Katy, TX), Dana Arielle Batesmith (Atlanta, GA) and Lianne Claudine Smith (Atlanta, GA) and their loving partners, Yasmin Otway Smith (Nicholas), Hallie Batesmith (Dana) and MacKenzie Hornsby (Lianne). She was adored by a large and loving family of twelve brothers and sisters, three of whom predeceased her (Valentine Augustus, Vivian Scott, Maria Elaine). She leaves behind six sisters, Winsome Davis, Claudette Faymarine, Clare Willshope, Esther Rose, Dian Casander, and Howadeen Dale; and three brothers, Radcliffe Lee, Roger Wordsworth and Nigell Manville. From this bountiful group, she also leaves behind 40 nieces and nephews whom she regularly checked in with and showered with love. Recently, she added another source of light in her life, her grandchildren: Malah Love (5), Rahna Joy (2), Rahm Noble (1) and Aleigh Toussaint Augustus (2), Luther Callahan Carver (2). She shone with effervescence in their presence or when she spoke of any of them, and it was a beautiful thing to behold. If you had any significant conversation with her this past year, you know her fight was for those 5 precious souls, who will carry on the legacy of their “Ahma”.

While she was born in the hills of a small parish, she had giant aspirations from the moment she learned how big the world is. It is fitting that she married a man whose passion is in aviation engineering because she had always told her children about how eager she was to travel, even when she was still walking the 5 miles back and forth to primary school. She learned about Warsaw, Poland around the age of 6 and was enamored with a landscape that was so routinely covered in snow. While she never touched Poland, she visited every continent except for Antarctica. This past December, on a family trip, she checked off “Africa, the motherland!”, visiting Cape Town, South Africa (and had 3 more planned trips coming up this year!). She made lifelong friends everywhere she traveled, with this bulletin making its way to Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, Panama, Alaska, and believe it or not, Poland. On a siblings’ cruise to Alaska last year, she met a Polish couple that was moved by the vibrancy and palpable love of her and her siblings and invited them all to come share their culture and country when they got the chance. We look forward to checking off her last travel goal for her.

We would be remiss without celebrating her unwavering faith and the way she walked with God. Baptized at a young age, Leith was a devoted Seventh Day Adventist and carried her faith alongside her through her successes and the challenges of life. Her family was blessed to watch her faith grow and blossom in a way that reflected the love and openness with which she boldly lived her life. Thank you to the churches that welcomed her and her family over the years—Decatur, Belvedere, New Hope, Stone Mountain, Berean, Emmanuel, West End—you were instrumental in her life and her children’s upbringing, values and education.

To everyone who has reached out, been a part of a prayer circle, sent prayers, shared condolences, brought food, sat with us, laughed with us—please know that your love is felt, your presence is important to us, and we sincerely appreciate all the compassion you’ve extended. Leith survived a battle with cancer twice in two years, and we believe it’s a testament to the prayers, community, and connection that you brought to her life that made that possible.

Celebration of Life Service for Mrs. Leith Smith will be Monday, April 28, 2025, at 12:00PM; Atlanta Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 291 Hamilton E Holmes Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30318.

Interment: Westview Cemetery.

A public viewing will be Sunday, April 27, 2025, from 3:00PM - 6:00PM at the funeral home. Final arrangements entrusted to Willie A. Watkins Historic West End Chapel. (404) 758-1731.

Thank you for standing with us, for remembering our beloved Leith aka Sweetie or Lee or Mommy or Ahma or Leitas or Sicka or Neck, and for helping us ensure that her light continues to shine through the love she left behind. Please feel free to share with anyone you know who loves Leith like we do, but may be outside of our communication network.

With love and gratitude,

The family of Leith Apollone Smith

In lieu of flowers, we welcome you to donate to one of her favorite charities.

Second Life: Website - secondlifeatlanta.org
678.974.5671 Main Store: 1 N. Clarendon Ave, Avondale Estates, GA 30002

St. Jude: Online Donations - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Mail In Donations - Send checks or money orders made payable to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to P.O. Box 1999, Memphis, TN 38101.

In Memoriam Donations - Memorial donations - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Hope House: Clothing Donation - 24-HOPE-Donation_List_UpdatedBrand.pdf

Monetary Donation - Donate to HOPE Atlanta FY24

Nspire: Clothing Donation - Register With Charity Clothing Pickup

Monetary Donation - Give to NSPIRE

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mrs. Leith A. Smith, please visit our floral store.