Lillie Mae Hardy Smith, 100, passed away on March 11, 2026, at River Place Nursing Center in Amory. Born on September 24, 1925, in Phenix City, Alabama, to the late Jesse Melvin Hardy and Mary Lee Rucker Hardy, she graduated high school in Rome, Georgia, and pursued additional training in office management. Her long career as a secretary included early work in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on the top-secret Manhattan Project, which produced “Little Boy” and contributed to the Japanese surrender in World War II. She later retired from the Marion, Arkansas Health Department. In 1978, she married Bill Smith.
Lillie found deep joy in her daily Bible reading, regular exercise, and time spent with her family. Her quiet faith and steady presence left a lasting impression on all who knew her.
She is survived by her son, David Adams (Jill) of Mountain View, Arkansas; daughters, Jan Warren and Jeanette Garner of Jasper, Tennessee; grandchildren, Benji Warren (Amber), Jake Warren (Candy), Josh Warren (DeAnna), Mallory Berry (Josh), and Devin Garner (Barbie); nine great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by one sister and three brothers.
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