Katherine Hinds Smythe's Obituary
Katherine Hinds Smythe died December 8th, 2017. She was born in Tupelo, MS on March 29, 1932, the daughter of Stanley Robbins Hinds and Katherine McAlpin Hinds. Surviving the 1936 Tupelo tornado by her father shielding her crib from the falling fireplace brick, she emerged stronger for the ordeal and appeared ready to proceed, starting first grade a year early. She never looked back, graduating from Tupelo public schools and going on to Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. She transferred to Southwestern College [now Rhodes], where she met her husband to be, William Hamilton Smythe III (Ham), becoming President of Chi Omega sorority, sweetheart of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and achieving the academic designation of Phi Beta Kappa. She then attended Duke University, earning a master’s degree for the first published thesis on the renowned Southern author Eudora Welty. Katherine was known for her fierce intellect, knowledge across a broad array of subjects, sense of humor, and as a gracious and generous supporter in the tradition of service over self. Throughout her career, she placed emphasis on philanthropic and community-service oriented initiatives. She began what could have been a promising career in education by teaching Freshman English at Memphis State University and English Composition and Literature at East High School, whose students she often referred to proudly as “many… future leaders of Memphis.” She then became president of the Junior League of Memphis, prior to focusing her attention on the cemetery operation of Memorial Park founded in1924 by her grandfather E. Clovis Hinds. Inheriting Memorial Park from her father Stanley and her aunt Bess Hinds Anderson, Katherine dedicated herself over her 30 year career to the management and expansion of the business into one of the largest family-owned funeral home / cemetery combination operations in the United States. She was inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs in 1992 and, recognizing her years of dedication to civic interests, awarded the Memphis Rotary Club’s annual Community Service Award in 1997. She was a founder of the Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired (now known as Meritan), President of the Board of Public Libraries and Chairperson of Special Gifts and the Capital Campaign for the Memphis Library, and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis – Memphis Branch. She received the Shelby County Commission’s Active Living Award, and served as president and / or board member of the Trustees of Porter-Leath Children’s Center, Rhodes College Alumni Association, United Way of the Mid-South, Future Memphis, State of Tennessee Cemetery Association, Southeastern Cemetery Association, Partners in Public Education, YWCA, The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, Memphis Theological Seminary, Grace–St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School and several business and trade associations. She leaves her husband of 63 years, William Hamilton Smythe, III; three children, W. Hamilton Smythe IV [Julie], Katie Smythe Gould [Jimmy] and Stanley Clay Smythe [Gracey] as well as 11 grandchildren. The family gratefully acknowledges the decades of compassionate family service provided by Ms. Mary Tate, the loving support of Ms. Josephine Scruggs, and the staff at Allen Morgan Nursing Home. Visitation will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home December 21st , 2017 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with services at Grace-St Luke’s Episcopal Church on December 22nd at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to New Ballet Ensemble and School, Rhodes College, The Memphis Library Foundation, or the local charity of the donor’s choice.
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