Judy Kay (Brown) Smith

Decatur lost one of its proudest citizens as Judy Kay Brown Smith, 71, died November 17, 2017.

Funeral is 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at Hawkins Funeral Home in Decatur with burial in Oaklawn Cemetery. Family will receive friends 6 - 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers are nephews Matt Brown, Thomas Burkhardt, Larry Woods, Scott Thomson, Jonathan Mason and Chris Fraker. Honorary pallbearers are nephews Mark Brown, Monte Smith and Rory Smith.

Judy was part of the founding families of Wise County and a longtime resident of Decatur. She was born on July 17, 1946. She graduated from Decatur High School in 1964 and after meeting her future husband Alton L. Smith at the Whispering Wheels skating rink they were married on April 30, 1966 in her parents’ home. Later Judy and Al had two children, only to return in 1980 to make Decatur their family’s home. Judy eventually retired from the state of Texas. When she wasn’t crocheting or making sure every single person around her had food in their belly, she shopped the aisles of Wal-Mart, always on the hunt for a bargain or some town gossip.

Throughout her life, she loved this town and the people in it, leaving us with the sincerest gratitude to have been a member of it.

She is preceded in death by her father Lawrence Brown, a member of the famed Lost Battalion, and her mother Marjorie Buchanan Brown of the Buchanan dairy family.

Judy is survived by her loving husband Al of over 51 years; daughter Shannon Smith Green of Lake Bridgeport; son Sean Smith and his husband, Carter Covington, of Los Angeles, CA; beautiful granddaughter Hailey Green and wild-man grandson Cormac Covington-Smith; brother Pat Brown and wife, Jenny, of Plano; and many adoring extended family members and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please make charitable donations in her name to the Wise Hope Crisis Center and Solaris Hospice.

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