Ann Smith

Mrs. Ann Lucile Vann Smith, age 85, of Hoover, Alabama, departed this life on April 30, 2017. Born in Trussville, Alabama on June 27, 1931 to the late E.E. Vann Sr. and Grace Elliott Vann, she was raised on her parents’ truck farm during the years of the Great Depression and World War II. As the middle child and only daughter of five siblings, she understood from an early age mental and physical toughness, industriousness and hard work, values she put into practice throughout her life. Upon graduating from Hewitt (now Hewitt-Trussville) High School in 1949, she was awarded a Linley Heflin Unit Scholarship to the University of Alabama where she received a B.S. in Education in 1953. She later received a M.S. in Library Science from Auburn University in 1965.
Following her college graduation, she began 40 years of service to the children of Alabama, teaching or working as a librarian in the state's public schools. These included B.B. Comer High School in Sylacauga, Randolph County High School in Wedowee, T.R. Miller High School in Brewton, Saks High School in Anniston and 20 years as the librarian at Sherwood Elementary School in Phenix City. She was a long-time member of the Delta Kappa Gamma professional honor society for women educators and was an officer of its Phenix City Chapter. She worked at the Birmingham Public Library during the summers while she was in college. Ann was a devoted and dedicated Christian lady who was a living testimony to her beliefs. She joined the United Methodist church at age 11. Upon her marriage in 1955, she was baptized as a Southern Baptist, her husband’s denomination. She was active in all of the churches she attended and was a Sunday School teacher and lay leader at Summerville Baptist Church in Phenix City for 30 years. She enjoyed reading, exercise and being outside and, in her retirement, traveling and scrapbooking. She was also a wonderful poet and author, although unpublished except to members of her family. She was a proud member of the extended Vann family of Jefferson County, Alabama. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Enos Vann, Jr., Carl Vann and Jerry Vann.
Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 62 years, Clifford S. Smith; her son, John G. (Laura) Smith of Tallassee, Alabama and daughter, Amy S. (Chris) Ferguson of Vestavia Hills, Alabama; grandchildren Samuel, Sarah and William Smith and Elijah and Blakeley Ferguson; brother Andy Vann of Trussville; sisters-in-law, nieces and great-nieces and great-nephews and cousins.
A Funeral Service will be held in Ann's honor on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at 10 AM in the Chapel of Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home. Graveside services were held at the Town Cemetery in Rockford, Alabama on May 2, 2017 at 1:30 PM. Memorial donations in her name may be made to Shades Crest Baptist Church, Hoover or Summerville Baptist Church, Phenix City.

Funeral Service

Graveside