Peggy Smith

Peggy Genelle Thompson was born on March 25, 1950, in Nashville, Tennessee, to parents Lillian and Henry, and was affectionately called “Sue” by her sister Stephanie. She was a woman who never yielded to the soul-diminishing weight of life’s complications and continued to cultivate a heart of love open to kindness, compassion, care, and empathy despite life’s woundings.

She was baptized and attended St. Vincent de Paul School in Nashville before her parents relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. In Cleveland, she continued her Catholic education and became firmly rooted in the spiritual disciplines of weekly Mass, prayer and introspection. She loved praying the rosary and found spiritual sustenance in the simple practice of holding the beads in her hand. Peggy was a music lover (her father was a professional trumpet player) and enjoyed R&B as well as smooth jazz. Secretly, she was a dancer. She was also an avid reader and fangirl (especially) of Walter Mosley books. She read all of them! Her love for reading was also seen in her relaxation practice of completing crossword and jigsaw puzzles (her mother was a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast). Peggy’s artistic expressions shone through her hobbies of cross-stitching and creating bead mosaics. As a grandmother, her grandchildren were her deepest source of joy. Peggy delighted in spending time with them, teaching them their numbers, colors, ABCs, and reading to them. Some mornings she would walk one great-granddaughter to school from her home.

Peggy’s enduring capacity for resilient love was forged in the difficulties she faced in early childhood, life as a single parent to her daughters Shirley and LaShawnda, and her Christian faith. She devoted herself to rearing her girls and gave them the best of her love and care throughout their lives. After relocating to Nashville, she attended and worked at Nashville State Technical Institute, where she discovered and utilized her organizational skills and talent for detail as a librarian. Subsequently, she worked at Hospital Corporation of America, Fisk University Library, Vanderbilt University medical library, and concluded her professional career in the VUMC MS clinic. Peggy was the unofficial ‘family historian’ who, with a little coaxing, shared little-known, even obscure historical facts and secrets about her family of origin and extended family. She also served as the historian for the newly formed Ray of Hope Community Church in Nashville.

Peggy married Jesse Smith, Jr., on April 11, 1981, a union that continued until her death. Peggy experienced the devastating loss of her youngest daughter, Shawn in 1998. Later, Peggy suffered a stroke that resulted in complete left-side paralysis and required skilled care in a long-term care facility. Her resilient love and deep spiritual foundation buoyed her. She did not surrender to despair and depression but remained engaged and engaging, using her strong mind and wry sense of humor in dispensing ‘elder’ wisdom to young care technicians and nurses. She continued to extend herself in love despite experiencing ongoing and unpredictable episodes of neurological pain. In April 2026, she developed a new source of pain that led to surgery and a subsequent cancer diagnosis. Peggy entered hospice care in June, 2026 and reunited with her daughter Shawn in eternity on Shawn’s birthday, August 18.

Peggy was preceded in death by her daughter LaShawnda, parents Henry and Lillian; and sisters Netta, Cheryl and Gina. Peggy is survived by her husband Jesse Smith, Jr., beloved daughter Shirley Dansby (Joe, Jr.); grandchildren Christopher Dansby, Lakeisha Hambrick (Kelando), Joe Dansby III (Cynthia), Briana Wilkins, Kortney Terrell (Marcus); thirteen beloved great-grandchildren: Trent, Kaliyah, Rosemary, Aaliyah, Madisyn, Christian, Rylan, Jalen, Morgan, Kelando Jr., Mia, Mykah, and Marcus, Jr.; nieces Arika, Danisha and Denay; nephews Montelle (Las Vegas), Nathan and Michael (Ohio); great-nieces and nephews Ahron, Joshua, Nia, Morghan, Braxton and Michael III and Nathan, Jr. (Ohio); Ohio cousins Carol, Marsha and Joyce; devoted and faithful sister Rev. Dr. Stephanie Thompson, and beloved friend Jean.