Rebecca Ann Brewer Smith

October 3, 1945 – November 25, 2024

Rebecca Ann Brewer Smith, age 79, of Cloudland, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 25, 2024 at Kindred Hospital, TN, surrounded by many of her loved ones.

Also known as “Becky”, she was born on October 3, 1945 in Kansas City, Missouri to, and predeceased by, Richard L. & Elizabeth A. Brewer (Markula). She had two brothers that passed before her, Michael and Paul, whom she missed and loved dearly.

Becky dedicated herself to being a lifelong educator, specializing in English at the high school level. She was never afraid to lovingly correct someone’s grammar, even in every day conversation.

While teaching, she helped thousands of students avoid dropping out of high school through the dropout prevention programs she led. She lived the true definition of not leaving any child behind and continued tutoring disadvantaged youth for several years after she retired professionally.

She further committed her life to the environment, the wilderness, and Mother Nature. Whether it was advocating for new laws to fight climate change, demanding our lawmakers work harder to protect our planet, or taking a 5-minute or less shower to preserve water, no step was too small to take to help preserve our Earth.

Additionally, she firmly believed in the rights and protections for indigenous peoples. She was very tenacious in educating everyone she could on indigenous history, what we could and should learn from them, and how we could help secure justice and honor for them. She did everything to promote positivity for everyone, especially those less fortunate than she (yes, that’s grammatically correct!)

Becky never stopped fighting, especially for equal rights and social justice for all. She believed everyone should be allowed to love who they love and to be who they want to be – no exceptions, as long as they were good, kind, honest, and worked hard.

She was a worldwide traveler, having been to places such as Canada, Russia, Iceland, and several other countries in Europe. She had dreams of visiting Africa and Australia, but those unfortunately never materialized. She and her partner also traveled to most of the states in the U.S., if not quite all of them. Seeing as much of the Earth as possible was another way for her to honor it.

Above all else, Becky devoted her life to her family, blood or not. She prioritized passing on her Brewer family stories and traditions to her loved ones that survive her today. The animated way she told each and every one of her stories not only captivated all who heard her stories, but it made her the greatest storyteller of the last 79 years.

Becky is survived by her Life Partner of 35 years, Rebecca Anderson, as well as her son Richard Smith, her daughter-in-law Chris Taylor-Smith, and her immediate grandchildren Tristan Smith, Lauren Smith, Skylar Smith, Duncan Smith, and Caleb Wynne.

She is further survived by her brother David Brewer, his wife Debby, their daughter, Megan Brewer Smith, her husband Chris Smith (no blood relation), and their children Evie, Sean, and Sophie. She is also survived by Ryan Brewer, Amy Brewer Braun and her children Kaitlyn, Anna, and Emilie, as well as Adam Brewer and his wife Becca Brewer and their children Lainey, Ella, and Bowen.

Additional surviving family members include her Aunt Ruth Saulter, and her cousins Jan Jackson and her husband Wayne, John Brewer and his wife Sharon, Teresa Madri, Patricia Johnson, Mark Shaft, and his wife Peggy, Stephen Shaft, Susan Messer, and her husband Matt, and Ethan Yowell.

Finally, Becky is also survived, via her partner, by her extended family of James Knauer, his wife Heather, and their children Tyler, Jarod, and Shannon, Shannon’s partner Nick Chartier, and their son Maverick, as well as Clifford Knauer, his partner Kelly, and their shared children Parker Jenkins, Emma Knauer, and Jake Knauer. Becky considered these all to be her kids, grandkids, and great-grandchild as well.

Becky was truly fortunate to have such a large, diverse, and wondrous family.

Her family and close friends will be holding a Celebration of Life for her on Lookout Mountain, GA at a later date, honoring her wishes and her legacy.

We all miss her terribly and send our loving wishes to the Universe for her happiness as she embarks on a new journey.

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