Mrs. Joyce H. Smith, age 81, of Mentone, Alabama, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Joyce was born in Valley Head, Alabama on July 5, 1944 to Clyde E. Hawkins & Thelma Kidd Hawkins. She taught elementary education at Moon Lake Elementary School for 29 years before her retirement.
She is survived by:
Lea & David Long
Clark Smith & Kim
Tammy Hawkins & Brad
The Farris Family
The Frost Family
Preceded in death by:
William Hoyle Smith
Clyde & Thelma Hawkins
Brad Hawkins & Hoyt Hawkins
Pallbearers: Donald Farris, Austin Frost, Dee Frost, Nick Hearn, Trey Kincer, & Doug Powell
Honorary Pallbearer: Isaac Sansom
The family is accepting flowers or donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) or the DAV: Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org)
Visitation
Date of Visitation: Sunday, March 1, 2026
Visitation Location: The Summit Church of God at Mentone
Visitation Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Funeral
Date of Funeral: Sunday, March 1, 2026
Funeral Location: The Summit Church of God at Mentone (1792 AL-117 Mentone, AL 35984)
Funeral Time: 3:00 PM
Officiating: Rev. Phillip Bain
Burial
Date of Burial: Sunday, March 1, 2026
Burial Location: Bankhead Cemetery in Mentone, AL
Share your condolences:
13 entries.
Virginia Ballinger
from Mentone wrote on March 1, 2026 at 10:39 pm
I'm so sorry for the family's loss and will be praying for you all. She was a sweet lady.
Joshuah A. Williamson
from Ider, AL wrote on February 28, 2026 at 6:04 pm
Mrs.Smith was such a wonderful, polite, kind-hearted lady. My condolences to the family. My heart goes out to her son Clark who just recently lost his fiance Kathy of 13 years less than a month ago. You will most definitely be in my thoughts.
Joshuah A. Williamson
from Ider, AL wrote on February 28, 2026 at 6:04 pm
Mrs.Smith was such a wonderful, polite, kind-hearted lady. My condolences to the family. My heart goes out to her son Clark who just recently lost his fiance Kathy of 13 years less than a month ago. You will most definitely be in my thoughts.
Justin Jedidiah Lawton
from Mentone Alabama wrote on February 28, 2026 at 2:06 am
Mrs. Smith was so much more than my 5th-grade teacher; she was a fierce advocate for my humanity. At a time when many saw me only as a "wild beast" of a child due to the trauma of my past, she saw the person I truly was inside. She was a bridge of belief, convincing the world that I wasn't hopeless, but a human who simply needed the right circumstances and a genuine chance to grow.
I will never forget the day she freely gave me one of her own biscuits to eat. To some, it was just a snack, but to a child who had been starved nearly to death by biological parents, that simple act of kindness was a revelation. It was my first real lesson in how people in this new world—like her and my mama—could be so freely giving with their love. She proved that I was worthy of care, and I am eternally grateful for her heart.
Justin Jedidiah Lawton
from Mentone Alabama wrote on February 28, 2026 at 2:06 am
Mrs. Smith was so much more than my 5th-grade teacher; she was a fierce advocate for my humanity. At a time when many saw me only as a "wild beast" of a child due to the trauma of my past, she saw the person I truly was inside. She was a bridge of belief, convincing the world that I wasn't hopeless, but a human who simply needed the right circumstances and a genuine chance to grow.
I will never forget the day she freely gave me one of her own biscuits to eat. To some, it was just a snack, but to a child who had been starved nearly to death by biological parents, that simple act of kindness was a revelation. It was my first real lesson in how people in this new world—like her and my mama—could be so freely giving with their love. She proved that I was worthy of care, and I am eternally grateful for her heart.
Angela Russell Nichols
from Centre, AL wrote on February 28, 2026 at 1:28 am
I can just see Ms. Smith having a delightsome time in Glory!
Moon Lake teachers were the best of the best!
Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.
