Tercy Smith

Tercy Smith, retired Pearl River County Superintendent of Education, passed away peacefully in Picayune, MS, on Saturday in the presence of his beloved wife Mary and family. Tercy was born in Carriere, Mississippi, the second child of Kit Carson Smith and Easter Christina Lumpkin Smith. He grew up during the depression, graduated from Carriere High School in 1938, and joined the army in 1942. His unit, the 611 Ordnance Base Armament Maintenance Battalion of the 3211 Ordnance Base Small Arms Maintenance Company trained at Camp Shelby and traveled overseas on the Queen Mary, which had been commandeered as a troop transport, to a base at Warminster near London, England. They landed at Le Havre in France a week or so after D-Day in June 1945 and were part of the Battle of the Bulge in France and Germany. Tech 3 Sergeant Tercy Smith was honorably discharged from the service in 1945 and was awarded the European Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars, the WWII Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Honorable Service in WWII Lapel Button. On May 2, 2007, the French Government presented him with a Republique Francaise Diplome in recognition for his service in France during WWII. After the war, Tercy earned a degree at Mississippi State University in agricultural science and later became certified to teach higher mathematics. He taught high school for many years and served as Superintendent of Education for eight years. He married Mary Virginia Leonard on November 22, 1946; they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year.

Tercy was preceded in death by his mother Easter Lumpkin Smith, his father Carson Smith, his sister Juanita Smith Stockstill, his son Tercy Lynwood (survived by wife Lynn Lott) and his grandson Tercy Duane. He is survived by his wife Mary, a retired R.N., and four children and their spouses, Teresa (Robert Welsh), Dean (Loraine Brooks), Bill (Gwen Trochessett) and Lisa (Raymond Miller); 16 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

During retirement, Tercy and Mary were founding members of Hillcrest Baptist Church (established in January 1988) where Tercy served as a Sunday School teacher and as one of the leaders in the church. Tercy loved gardening, fishing and hunting - he always liked to have a large garden so there would be plenty of vegetables to be preserved and to give away to neighbors and friends. He loved God, his country and his family; he was generous and kind and greatly beloved by family, students and friends.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Picayune Funeral Home and on Thursday, November 17, at 12 noon at the First Baptist Church of Carriere before the funeral services at 1 p.m. with a graveside service to follow at FBC of Carriere Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested in his memory for Hillcrest Baptist Church Benevolence Fund.