Mary Lou Smith

Mary Lou Thomas was born on December 10, 1938 to John Thomas, Sr. and Alcenia Hall in Pickens, Arkansas of Desha County.

Mary was affectionately called “Blue” or “Baby Lou” by her family. Blue was her favorite color and for a few years she would be the baby of the family.

Mary graduated from Reed High School in Dumas, Arkansas. She was a devoted wife to her husband, Emanuel Smith whom she married in November 1956, and a loving mother to her only son, Carl Dean Smith. Mary and Emanuel followed Mary’s family to Chicago looking for better educational and employment opportunities.

Mary worked as a Cashier at A & P Supermarket and Jewel Food Stores. More importantly she developed strong relationships with her co-workers who would one day come to work and support her as a small business owner. While working in the stores she made sure that employment opportunities where available for her family and friends. This would be part of her motivation for wanting her own business.

As a little girl Mary knew one day, she would become a Funeral Director. It began in her hometown in Arkansas. She admired the Funeral Director, she was awed by the way he dressed, the way he carried himself, the respect he garnered from others and the way he made people feel. This was a time when funeral directors were predominately male and white. This did not discourage her; she tucked those thoughts and feelings away for a later time.

Mary received her Mortuary Science degree from Worsham Mortuary College on March 8, 1977. Desiring more business education, she received her Associate Degree in Business Administration from Malcolm X College in 1979 and majored in Accounting at Northeastern University. These goals she achieved after working all day; maintaining a home, being a mother and wife, and serving in her ministry. She completed her mortuary internship with Jordan & Shepard and worked there as a Funeral Director. However, she desired her own funeral home. Using seed money secured from the sale of the lumber on her mother’s property, Mary opened her flagship location; Smith & Thomas Funeral Home in 1982 on West Madison Street in Chicago’s Austin Community. Over the past 43 years, her businesses expanded to include Metropolitan Funeral Home in Milwaukee, WI, S & T on 2nd in Maywood, IL and Johnson Funeral Home at 5838 West Division in Chicago, IL.

Inspired by her own profound experiences with loss; including her parents, husband, son, grandson and siblings; Mary made it her mission to ensure that all families, regardless of income, could lay their loved ones to rest with dignity and respect. Mary Smith was a trendsetter in the profession and highly respected by her peers. She mentored many students, vendors and funeral home business owners; sharing her proprietary techniques and wisdom. Mary L. Smith was the only African American woman in the funeral industry in the state of Illinois with three thriving locations.

Mary understood firsthand the impact of the seed money that she received from her family and seeded many small businesses still active in the Austin community today. She was also a member of the Board of Directors with Pan American Bank collaborating with other board members regarding approving applications of loans for small businesses.

Being a woman of deep faith, Mary Smith was a devoted Jehovah Witness. Brought into the truth by her brother-in-law, Howard, Mary was baptized as one of Jehovah Witnesses on July 18, 1959. She was a member of the Union Park and Division congregations. It was very evident that she loved Jehovah God because she was faithful to him for over 66 years. You would often see her seated on the bench at Austin and Madison sharing the good news of Jehovah’s kingdom with her community or using her computer from home to contact families about JW.org information. She continually brought others into Jehovah God’s Kingdom including many of her employees and relatives.

Family was always first for Mary! For the last 58 years, her maternal family has gathered at the Hall Family Reunion on the first Saturday in August for a weekend of loving and rekindling. She attended her last reunion in 2024 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Not having any girls of her own, Mary was the beloved aunt to her nieces. Playing dress up with makeup, hair and gowns, she made them feel beautiful on the outside, instilling a sense of style. On the inside, she offered friendship, bible teaching, cooking, and encouragement that everything was possible. 

Mary loved to travel and visited many continents. Despite her health challenges, her love for travel persisted as she told her nieces and friends that she was going everywhere they went. So they packed her up and traveled accordingly.

Mary finished her life in Jehovah’s memory on June 10, 2025 and she awaits the resurrection hope that is made sure by the promise of her Jehovah God.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Emmanuel Smith; son, Carl Dean Smith; grandson, Eric Smith; step daughters, Marilyn Jackson and Josiephine Randle; also preceding her in death are her brothers and their spouses, Thomas and Mattie Lewis, Jim and Maxine Young, John and Lillie B. Thomas, Theotrice and Ruby Young; her sisters and their spouses, Juanita and George Eskridge, Clara and Harry Taylor, and Alice and Bob Williams; brothers-in-law, Sammie Virgil, Thomas Jones, Harvey Dodds, and Willie Branch; her sisters-in-law, Catherine Young and Gertie Young; and her nephew, Robert who was raised as her brother.

She leaves to cherish her loving memory: Stepson, James “Julius” Smith; grandson, Emmanuel Smith; granddaughters, Stephanie Lee-Harrell (Michael) and Jackie Vanderbilt (Aaron); daughter-in-law, Irma Smith; her brothers, Willie Young and Clay Young; sisters, Ruby Virgil and Dorthula Jones; brothers-in-law, Johnnie “Doe” Smith (Willie Mae) and Eddie Howard (Delores); sisters-in-law, Marvell Branch, Joyce Lewis and Carlean “Babydoll” Powell; Eric’s mom, Kianga Wade; special friends, Margaret Smalls, Edith Collins, Dollie Banks, Ms. Willa Mae and Eddie Moses; her staff throughout the years; her Christian brothers and sisters and a host of extended grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.