Dr. Donna Snell Smith, who brought learning to life both as a teacher and administrator, died Monday in Lexington after a short illness. She was 78.

She was the wife of J. Phil Smith, Chairman of the Board of the First National Bank of Jackson, and her career in business was just part of a long and distinguished life that touched many people in Breathitt County and the world. She became Branch Manager and Vice President of First National in 1990, setting up a new branch on Highway 15 North and naming it The Lester Smith Parkway Branch, after her late son, former Jackson Mayor Lester H. Smith. Dr. Smith became a member of the bank’s Board of Directors in January 1992, and retired from First National in May 2004.

Her loss was deeply felt by friends and co-workers at both bank locations on Tuesday. “Donna was one of the most remarkable people I have ever known. She was a wonderful mentor to me when I began serving on the Jackson Independent Board of Education,” said Greg Lemons, who a Jackson City School Boardmember and President/CEO of the First National Bank of Jackson. “I truly enjoyed working with her at the bank. She was a perfectionist, and I was fortunate to have been able to learn a great deal from her. She was a true lady, and a very much respected one. I will miss her greatly, but she will forever be in my heart and mind.”

“Donna was a wonderful lady that I will greatly miss. She was truly a pleasure to talk with,” added Terri Halsey, Internal Auditor with First National. “Donna was a very knowledgeable woman, and I feel very fortunate to have served with her on the Jackson Independent Board of Education, as well as having the opportunity to work with her at the bank. She always had brilliant ideas; however, she always seemed to bring it around that the thought was yours. When I think of Donna, the thoughts are always uplifting and positive - there was never a negative with Donna.”

“Donna personified the perfect lady no matter the situation, and she was one of the kindest, most genteel ladies I have ever known. I was not blessed to have her as a professor in college, but the wealth of knowledge she gave to me just knowing her was beyond anything I could have learned in the classroom,” noted Beth D. Lemons, who’s Executive Secretary with First National Bank. “She had a way of making you feel like the most important person alive in every conversation shared. Her vibrant personality and zest for life were amazing. She was a devoted friend, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and most of all, wife, to the love of her life, Phil. What a beautiful love they shared!”

Many remember Dr. Smith in recent years as a member of the Jackson Independent School Board, a position she held for 18 years, beginning in 1989 and lasting until May of last year. “All of us within the Jackson Independent School District were deeply saddened by the news of Dr. Donna Snell Smith’s passing. We can all take some solace in the good and lasting work that she did for our school system and the community,” said City School Superintendent Tim Spencer, in a statement released Tuesday. “She was liked and respected by all those who knew her, and the results of her leadership and her beneficial influence will live on forever. On behalf of the Jackson Independent Board of Education and our entire school community, I wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and her many friends. Those of us who knew Donna realize what a wonderful person she was and know how greatly she will be missed. She was a shining inspiration to all of us.”

Last December, the school board honored Dr. Smith with the nameplate she used during board meetings, and a schoolbell - a tradition at City School whenever a boardmember leaves their position.

But for many of us who were once young, Dr. Smith meant one thing - a wonderful college professor. Her Western Civilization classes at what was once Lees College came alive with lessons that inspired and instilled a love of learning for a lifetime for those students lucky enough to have her class. She came prepared for teaching, receiving both her Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and her Doctor’s Degree from the University of Kentucky. Beginning in 1969 at Lees (now part of Hazard Community and Technical College), Dr. Smith taught for 18 1/2 years as a Professor of History.

Flags were flown at half-staff on the campus after her passing, as the school remembered her. “HCTC joins the Jackson communiy and her family in mourning the loss of Donna Smith. She shared our deep desire that our people get the best education possible, and we honor her lifetime committment to that very cause,” said Dr. Allen Goben, Prseident/CEO of Hazard Community and Technical College on Tuesday morning. “Her portrait proudly hangs in Jackson Hall at our campus in what is known as the Smith Reception Room, as a reminder to all that a good education leads to a good future. Our hearts especially go out to her husband, J. Phil Smith, who has been a long-time friend of our college, and her son, Hill Smith, a member of our faculty. It is my personal hope they are comforted in knowing that this wonderful woman made such a great difference throughout her lifetime.

Dr. Goben was joined in the HCTC family by Carla Seals, who’s the Director of Advancement for the college. “I feel honored to have known such a gracious, kind, and very elegant woman as Donna Smith. She had such brilliance and we’re all fortunate she was able to share that brilliance during her years of teaching. We are especially fortunate that she cared so much about our college, and wanted to see that students attending received the very best education possible. My heart goes out to her family, especially to her husband, Phil.”

And there was this from D. Fred Landrum, who’s Vice President of Business Services at HCTC: “Donna Smith was one of the best scholars, best teachers I have ever known, and a great friend. I was a dean at Lees College when she was a faculty member, and it was then I saw her committment to helping our people succeed. That committment continued even after she left her teaching position. She along with her husband, J. Phil Smith, continued to support education at the Lees College Campus and Hazard Community and Technical College. The region is better because of the contributions Donna Smith made while on this earth. I am saddened of her passing, and I share in the sorrow felt by her family.”

Dr. Smith’s work and accomplishments were also lauded by other educators as well. “The Breathitt County Board of Education and I are saddened by the news of Donna Snell Smith’s death,” said Superintendent Arch Turner in a statement Tuesday. “I know that she gave a significant portion of her life to education in teaching, as well as serving on the Board of Education in the Jackson Independent Schools. Additionally, she served the children of this community through her involvement in civic groups and organizations. Her contributions to the success of our students will be greatly missed.”

Of all the achievements and honors Dr. Smith received in her life, perhaps the most satisfying was to have one of her former students tell her how much they appreciated her as their professor at Lees. For one student, he was fortunate enough to work alongside her in later years on the Jackson Independent School Board. “What stands out in my mind about her was the fact that I sat in her classroom,” said Marty Hayes, Assistant Vice President of Citizens Bank & Trust Co. of Jackson and present City School Board Chairperson. “She had a zeal for learning, and for her, learning was a lifelong process. It was a priviledge to sit in her classroom. I shared her love of history with her, and she was a very enthusiastic teacher.”

Both locations of First National Bank, as well as both locations of Citizens Bank & Trust Co. of Jackson, were closed yesterday (Wednesday) in honor of Dr. Smith, and to allow their employees the opportunity to attend her funeral service.

In addition to her husband, Dr. Smith is survived by three sons - Tom Davison of Jackson, Hill Smith of Jackson and Len Smith of Lexington; and one daughter - Deborah Sheffel of Jackson. Four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren also survive.

Visitation for Dr. Donna Snell Smith was held Tuesday from 5 - 9 p.m. at Breathitt Funeral Home in Jackson, with the funeral held yesterday (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. at Breathitt Funeral Home. Burial followed in the Jackson Cemetery. The complete obituary can be found in this week’s edition of the Voice.