Lorraine Davis Smith, 93, gently passed away on Saturday, October 17, 2015 after a long courageous struggle with Alzheimer?s. Lorraine was the daughter of the late Monette Mims Davis and Lillie Troutman Davis of Mobile, Alabama. She was born on the Troutman farm near Atmore, Alabama on October 27. She is survived by her husband, Edgar James Smith, 96. They were very happily married for 77 years. She is also survived by two of her three children: a son, William F. Smith, his wife Janis Krebs Smith; a daughter, Jeanne Smith Bartlett; a daughter-in-law, Gail Short Smith; five grandchildren: Chris Bartlett, Ben Smith, Andrew Smith, Laura Smith Guyot and Sarah Smith; and five great-grandchildren: Cheyenne and Kai Bartlett, Colin and Declan Guyot and Alyssa Smith. She was predeceased by her eldest son Edgar J. Smith, Jr. Early on, this lifelong poet and writer served on the board of the Poetry Society of Mississippi, publishing poems in two of their poetry anthologies and writing a poetry column for the Clarion Ledger Newspaper of Jackson. After living in Portsmouth for five years the family traveled for six years giving Lorraine an opportunity to use her skills as a stringer for the Santa Barbara News Press in California and write a column, ?Ambling in Andalusia? for the Navy Newspaper while her husband was attached to the Navy in Rota, Spain. When her husband worked in Asuncion, Paraguay she was a member of Las Amigas Norte Americanas del Paraguay and one of the editors of the second edition of Land of Lace and Legend, a history and travel book published by Las Amigas which is listed in the Library of Congress and used by State Department personnel assigned to the American Embassy in Paraguay. Lorraine was a faithful member of Monumental United Methodist Church for over 50 years serving as a youth Sunday school teacher and in the UMW. For years she was a member of the Writers Club of Virginia, past president of the Poetry Society of Virginia where she published poems in many anthologies with the group, served on the P.T.A. council, a member of AAUW, Portsmouth Host Lions Club, Woman?s Club of Portsmouth, and the Sterling Point Garden Club. After assisting and encouraging students while working in the Learning Labs at TCC Frederick Campus she went to ODU and graduated Cum Laude with a BA in English at age 53. Multi- talented as a seamstress, artist and cook, she also loved to garden, sail and play golf with her husband. In 1979, she and her husband co-founded with their son Churchland Country Day School which they operated for 34 years serving the Western Branch community with a wonderful pre-school, kindergarten and after-school program for 2 through 10 year old children. She truly enjoyed working with the families and was a wonderful Director for 18 years. A memorial service celebrating Lorraine?s life will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22nd at Monumental United Methodist Church, 450 Dinwiddie Street in Olde Towne Portsmouth. The Rev. Joe Cailles will officiate. B.W. Foster Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Prior to the memorial service, internment will be at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens in Suffolk. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Alzheimer?s Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871 www.ahaf.org; or the Bon Secours Hospice, P.O. Box 55012, Norfolk, VA 23505. Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com