Barbara Pate Smith, 82, passed away on March 23, 2025, in Providence, RI. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to many. She was always quick to laugh and to dance to anything with a beat.

Barbara was born at home in 1942 on a small tobacco farm in the mountains of Burnsville, NC. She was predeceased by her parents, Evelyn and Roy Pate, and her siblings, Kermit, Edna (Jarvis), and Van. Growing up, she looked forward to checking out books when librarian Miss Dorothy’s Bookmobile made monthly visits to the farm. Her family had one of the county’s first televisions, which neighbors crowded into the living room to watch. She played the organ at church and was a passionate student participating in many clubs and graduating second in her high school class. She was the first of her immediate family to attend college, was in the first coed class of Mars Hill College, and became its first female accounting major.

Barbara met her husband, David Smith, on a blind date in Winston-Salem. They married in 1971 and had two children: Deborah and Michael. The family moved to Charlotte, where Barbara was a childrearing and child-cheering mother. She worked as a realtor and later as a paralegal. She sang in the Unitarian Universalist Church choir and created dear friends there and in her JCC dance classes. She enjoyed watching college basketball while cooking, and she worked daily in her flower garden––her yard overflowed with bird feeders and birdsong.

In 2012 she and Dave moved to Providence, RI, to be closer to Maude and Calder, her grandchildren from Deborah and Christine Montross. Her grandchildren were always on her lap, and she carried a book of photos of them in her purse to show to anyone who would pause to look. She relished visits from Mike and his wife, Leslie, from California, and was a devoted member of the Hamilton House.

Barbara survived many hardships: the tragic early death of her young brother; a serious car accident; and breast cancer. But throughout these ordeals she maintained her steadfast devotion to loved ones, offering her easy laugh, solid advice, and moral and unpretentious manner. She passed away after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Even in the darkest hours, she lit up when hearing a song and never missed the chance to be in kind conversation with anyone. She was loved and will be missed.

Arrangements are with Family’s Choice Cremation, 8 Schoolhouse Rd. Warren, RI 02885.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Bookmobile and Outreach Librarian (via their Donate button online or a check to PO Box 310, Burnsville, NC, 28714) or to your local library. www.amyregionallibrary.org/services/bookmobile/