Obituary for Inez Smith
Inez M. Smith was born in Greenwood, Mississippi on October 10, 1940, to the late David Shotwell and Rosie Lee Kline. Inez relocated from Greenwood, Mississippi to Gary, Indiana in 1943, where she later graduated from Roosevelt High School, Class of 1959.
After graduating high school, she worked at Westville Mental Hospital in Crown Point, Indiana. Inez later met her beloved husband, Julius M. Smith, in 1966, and they relocated to Rochester, New York. Here, Inez worked at Rochester General Hospital, where she initially received six weeks of phlebotomy training. She then went on to work for ACM Labs and Anthony Jordan Health Center as a highly experienced phlebotomist
and trainer for over 28 years. She retired from the health center, and the rest was history.
Over the years, her coworkers knew her as Inez, her family and close friends called her “Nanny” and her childhood friends called her “Goat”. One of the many things Inez used to love to do for years, was play Bid Whist for hours with some of her long-time friends, A. J. and Juanita. She also enjoyed traveling and always loved going to casinos where she was very lucky.
Cooking for her family always brought her great joy. Not only did she love chicken, but she could cook some of the best fried chicken ever. A cold can of Pepsi was her all-time favorite drink, and it would always brighten up her day when someone brought her a cold can of Pepsi. Seeing the family get together and create memories was her passion. Sitting around talking about family members and going down memory lane was a way that she kept us all connected to our past generations. We are all so thankful that God allowed her one last opportunity to be celebrated by her son and so many of her family members and friends the week before she departed this life.
She departed this life peacefully in her Rochester, New York home, surrounded by loving family on May 30, 2021. She was preceded in death by her father, David Shotwell; stepfather, Edward (Jimmy) Kline; mother, Rosie Lee Kline; her devoted husband, Julius M. Smith; daughter, Theresa M. Washington; sister, Ida Ree Hicks; and her brothers, Abram Harris and Edward Kline; eleven aunts and uncles. She leaves to
cherish her memory one son, Kenneth W. Griggs; six grandsons: Keyon and Ricky Washington, Mickey Ray, Kenneth, Tyrek, and Finest Boyd; fifteen great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; one aunt, Frances (Otha) Denham of Gary, Indiana, and a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family members, and a special friend for over 30 years, Lynette (Poo-Poo) Vasquez.
After graduating high school, she worked at Westville Mental Hospital in Crown Point, Indiana. Inez later met her beloved husband, Julius M. Smith, in 1966, and they relocated to Rochester, New York. Here, Inez worked at Rochester General Hospital, where she initially received six weeks of phlebotomy training. She then went on to work for ACM Labs and Anthony Jordan Health Center as a highly experienced phlebotomist
and trainer for over 28 years. She retired from the health center, and the rest was history.
Over the years, her coworkers knew her as Inez, her family and close friends called her “Nanny” and her childhood friends called her “Goat”. One of the many things Inez used to love to do for years, was play Bid Whist for hours with some of her long-time friends, A. J. and Juanita. She also enjoyed traveling and always loved going to casinos where she was very lucky.
Cooking for her family always brought her great joy. Not only did she love chicken, but she could cook some of the best fried chicken ever. A cold can of Pepsi was her all-time favorite drink, and it would always brighten up her day when someone brought her a cold can of Pepsi. Seeing the family get together and create memories was her passion. Sitting around talking about family members and going down memory lane was a way that she kept us all connected to our past generations. We are all so thankful that God allowed her one last opportunity to be celebrated by her son and so many of her family members and friends the week before she departed this life.
She departed this life peacefully in her Rochester, New York home, surrounded by loving family on May 30, 2021. She was preceded in death by her father, David Shotwell; stepfather, Edward (Jimmy) Kline; mother, Rosie Lee Kline; her devoted husband, Julius M. Smith; daughter, Theresa M. Washington; sister, Ida Ree Hicks; and her brothers, Abram Harris and Edward Kline; eleven aunts and uncles. She leaves to
cherish her memory one son, Kenneth W. Griggs; six grandsons: Keyon and Ricky Washington, Mickey Ray, Kenneth, Tyrek, and Finest Boyd; fifteen great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; one aunt, Frances (Otha) Denham of Gary, Indiana, and a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family members, and a special friend for over 30 years, Lynette (Poo-Poo) Vasquez.