Betty Logan Smith's Obituary
Betty Logan Smith, age 84, died January 26, 2016, at NHC Franklin in Franklin, Tennessee. She was born December 9, 1931, in Du Quoin, Illinois. She grew up in Parkin, Arkansas, and graduated from Blytheville (Arkansas) High School. She attended Arkansas State University and eventually earned her Bachelors of Science in Education from Memphis State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Betty loved politics and was an ardent supporter of Barry Goldwater during his presidential campaign in 1964. A die-hard Republican, Betty actively campaigned on behalf of Republican candidates in Memphis and Shelby County, often pressing her young children into door-to-door campaign efforts. All of her children and their friends referred to Betty as “PM” or “Political Machine”. Betty loved a good political fight and often said that Memphis had such interesting politics compared to those of East and Middle Tennessee which she described as “boring”. Betty became President of the Shelby County Republican Women in 1968 and in 1970 was elected to the State Republican Executive Committee for Congressional District 9. She was the first woman appointed to the Shelby County Election Commission in 1970. She also served two terms on the Shelby County Republican Steering Committee from 1976-78 and 1986-88. In 1994, she was the Shelby County Co-Chairman for the (Don) Sundquist for Governor campaign. She was the recipient of the Thelma Williams Outstanding Achievement Award in 1998 and was named the 2000 Statesman of the Year for the Congressional District 9. While Betty would be the first to admit that real estate was never high on her list as a career choice she jumped in, becoming a member of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors in 1977. She became a principal of East Memphis Realty in 1979 with two others and everyone soon discovered she was a natural. She took over sole ownership of the business in 1985. In 1991 she was the Chair of the first “Homes for Sale” magazine and in 1992 was named President of the MAAR Education Foundation. She served as President of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors in 1993 and in 1994 she was named Chair of Tennessee Association of Realtors Government Affairs Committee. In 1995, she received MAARs “Realtor of the Year” award, the associations most prestigious annual honor. In 1999, she served as Chairman of the Tennessee Association of Realtors, R-PAC Committee. She later served an additional two year term as a member of that committee. In 1995 Governor Don Sundquist appointed her to the Tennessee Real Estate Commission, the governmental authority responsible for licensing and regulating real estate licensees in Tennessee. She was elected Chair of the Commission in July 2000. When asked what she enjoyed most about the real estate industry, Smith said she liked the daily challenges of the job. Betty felt it was important to look out for those unable to take care of themselves and she served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Arlington Developmental Center, including one stint as Chairperson and another as Chairman of the Human Rights Committee. She was a member of the Duration Club, a fundraising organization for projects serving the mentally challenged, served as President of the Memphis Ecumenical Children’s Association (later merged into Dogwood Village/Youth Villages) and was Executive Director of the Memphis Association for Retarded Citizens (MARC) from 1972-1977. MARC eventually became part of SVRS. While Betty enjoyed both the real estate and political arenas, in the rare moments of “free time”, she enjoyed gardening, taking in football games at Memphis State University, and spending time with her four children and three grandchildren, who live both in Memphis and in Franklin, Tennessee. Betty loved being involved with her church, Mullins United Methodist, and in addition to serving many years as treasurer and on the Finance Committee, she also taught a church class for mentally challenged children for 16 years. After ending the class for the mentally challenged children, Betty taught adult Sunday School and sang in the choir for many years. Betty finally retired from real estate in 2007 and moved to Franklin in 2008 to be closer to her grandchildren. Betty was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Louise May Logan, stepfather John “Jack” Logan and her former husband, Capt. Clyde Rufus Smith Jr. (USN Ret.) She is survived by her four children, Dr. Clyde Rufus Smith III (married to the former Jane Hickman) of Memphis; Bethany Louise Smith (Joe Larkins) of Memphis; Priscilla Portis Smith Mitchell of Franklin; and Andrew Alan Smith (Joan Carr) of Memphis; and three grandchildren, Matthew Logan Mitchell, Wesley King Mitchell and Julianna Grace Mitchell all of Franklin. Visitation will be held at Mullins Methodist Church on Saturday, January 30 at 1:00 p.m. with services at 2:00 pm in the Mullins Sanctuary and burial in the Mullins Cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Mullins United Methodist Church, Youth Villages or SRVS. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119. “Celebrating Life… Behind the Stone Wall”
What’s your fondest memory of Betty?
What’s a lesson you learned from Betty?
Share a story where Betty's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Betty you’ll never forget.
How did Betty make you smile?