Obituary of Dolores LaVerne Smith

Dolores LaVerne Smith passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

 

Visitation: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Sunday, February 9, 2025 at Thompson's Harveson & Cole, 4350 River Oaks Blvd.

Rosary: 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 10, 2025 followed by Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m. Monday, February 10, 2025 at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 3312 Dryden Road, Fort Worth. 

Interment: 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, Dallas. 

Memorials: Should friends desire, memorials may be made to St. Andrew Catholic Church, 3312 Dryden Rd., Fort Worth, TX or to Community Healthcare of Texas at www.chot.org.

 

LaVerne was born on September 17, 1931 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Louis and Bernadette Louzon. She was the second oldest of their five daughters. From LaVerne’s stories of her childhood, they were a lively bunch and she often entertained her children with stories about the shenanigans they got up to. Somehow LaVerne seemed to always be blameless when it came to the mischief. She attended West Catholic Girls High School and graduated to start a short lived career with a sporting goods company. One night at a church dance, she met a handsome young college senior named Tom Smith. He would forever change her life. They fell in love, married and raised a family of seven children together. They enjoyed 66 years together through a happy and loving marriage. Tom was a decorated officer in the US Air Force and provided a life of excitement and travel. They travelled the world together and were enriched by their experiences. They both were the most generous parents to their children and their house was filled with love, laughter, and usually a lot of noise.

 

After her children were grown and out of the house, LaVerne began a career as a loan officer at a local bank where she was successful and knowledgeable and received the honor of “Special Banker” several times. She was proud of the work she did. After retiring she steered her talents toward helping others. She was a dependable volunteer at St. Andrews Food Pantry for many years, but maybe one of her favorite places to volunteer was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Harris Hospital rocking and giving comfort to premature and critically ill babies. She was a natural.

 

LaVerne never lost her love of playing cards, travel and the taste of a good manhattan specially made for her either by her husband or one of her sons. Poker was one of her favorite card games, but bridge may have been her true love. Even at 90 years old, she had joined a new bridge group and commented many times how lucky she was to be making new friends at such a ripe old age. LaVerne loved people, had a great sense of humor, was usually the life of the party, and never met a stranger. LaVerne had a knack for entertaining family and friends and had a true gift for “creative" story telling. She often stated that you should never spoil a good story with the facts.

 

Throughout her life, but especially after Tom passed away, LaVerne got much comfort from her faith and especially Fr. John at St. Andrew’s and Susan Reardon, her Eucharistic Minister who would visit her weekly to pray and give her Communion.

 

Survivors include her children Mary Lynn Hall and husband Mike, Carol Jean Crowe, Elizabeth Jane Fischer and husband Steve, Thomas Patrick Smith, III, Michael Louis Smith, and Joseph Francis Smith; 16 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, one great great grandchild and a host of nieces and nephews.  LaVerne is predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Thomas P. Smith, Jr., her beloved daughter, LaVerne Butler and her great granddaughter, Caroline Crowe.