Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Sunrise Sunset October 18, 1944 August 4, 2022 Friday, August 12, 2022 | 12:00 Noon Saint Joseph African Methodist Episcopal Church 2521 Fayetteville Street Durham, North Carolina 27707 The Reverend Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine, Senior Pastor Eulogist
Dr. Laura Brooks Smith ThePrelude………..……………………...…………............………………………....BrotherFredMason,Organist TheProcessional......…………………….....................................……….…………………......ClergyandFamily ThePrayerofComfort..………………...........…..........................……...TheReverendDr.SequolaCollins MusicalSelection.............……….“GreatIsThyFaithfulness”...............................BrotherFredMason TheScriptureReadings TheOldTestament.....................Psalm121..............TheReverendDr.DeborahL.Burroughs TheNewTestament..................James2:1426................................TheReverendRobertBland MusicalSelection………...............“ItIsWellwithMySoul”.................................BrotherFredMason TheReadingofAcknowledgementsandResolutions NorthCarolinaCentralUniversity.............................................ChancellorJohnsonO.Akinyele St.JosephAMEChurch................................................................................SisterEmilyMarshall TheReflections(2minutes,please) EJHayesClassof1961&NCCUClassof1965...................................Dr.Richard(Dickie)Mizell FamilyFriend......................................................................................................BrotherJoeParker NorthCarolinaCentralUniversity.........................................................Dr.FrederickD.Johnson WomenandMathMentoring...........................................................Dr.UmaRavanasamudram St.JosephAMELayOrganization..........................................................BrotherPaulD.Williams IKEMBAYouthandTutorialMinistry..............................................................SisterWillaSample SmithFamily......................................................................................SisterPauletteSmithBryant BrooksFamily...........................................................................................SisterGloriaBrooksRay Granddaughters.......................................................................................SisterJasmineN.Brown SilentReadingoftheObituary...................................……..............…………………………….….SoftMusic MusicalSelection.............………...“IWon’tComplain”.........................TheReverendDeborahBrown AccompaniedbyBrotherTravisSmith TheEulogy…………….......................................................……TheReverendDr.JonathanC.Augustine TheCommittalService…………………....................................................…………TheParticipatingClergy TheMortician'sBrief...................................Scarborough&HargettCelebrationofLifeCenter,Inc. TheRecessional......................................…………………………………………………………...ClergyandFamily ThePostlude………….........................………………………………………………………………BrotherFredMason The Order of Liturgy CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF
The Obituary
Once they started a family, Laura chose to step away from IBM and work with the NCCU tutorial program and to become a full time homemaker and mother. The teaching profession would give her more time to spendwithherdaughters.Oncetheirdaughtersstartedschool,shebeganworkingwiththeNCCUAcademic SkillsCenter,workingwithstudentswhohaddeficienciesinmath.
Laura was very supportive of her husband while he pursued opportunities at different IBM locations. She had begun to work on her Master of Science in Mathematics when the family moved to Tampa, Florida for one of those opportunities afforded to him. While in Florida, Laura became the first person to complete a master’s degree by distance education at North Carolina Central University in 1983. When they returned to NorthCarolinain1984,shebecameanAdjunctProfessoratNCCU.
During her sophomore year Laura met the love of her life John N. Smith who was a junior and also majoring in math. During Laura’s senior year at NCC she accepted a position as a programmer trainee at the IBM facility in Poughkeepsie NY and attended programming school. While attending graduate school John also accepted a position with IBM in Poughkeepsie NY. They both relocated to NY and were married on July 3, 1965. After successfully completing the programming school they both transferred to the IBM facility at the Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC January 1, 1966. At the IBM facility at RTP Laura became the first Black femaleapplicationsprogrammer
In 1987, Laura stepped down from NCCU to further continue her education. While she was working on the Ph.D. at NC State University, she took a position teaching math at Saint Augustine College in Raleigh NC. Laura earned her PhD in Mathematics Education from North Carolina State University in 1993 attheageof48;teachingmanythatitisnevertoolatetopursueyourdreams. Once she had completed her Ph.D., she returned to teaching at NCCU, where sheremainedasatenuredfacultymemberteachingmathuntilherretirement in 2010 Not only did Laura teach math, but she coordinated the student teaching efforts for math majors who planned to enter the teaching profession.
Laura served in several roles at St. Joseph AME Church in her many years as a member until her health started failing. She served in the Sarah Allen Missionary Society, as a member of the Ladies Usher Board, andasanactivememberoftheLayOrganization.
Laura leaves behind a loving husband of 57 years, John N. Smith, two daughters, Marchia Jones and Marjorie Brown, JD, a loving and devoted son in law Ryan Anthony Brown, MD, three granddaughters: Jasmine Brown, JD, Lauran Jones, and Nia Brown; three devoted sisters, Gloria Ray (Valentine), Selma Alston (Walt), Rowena Sykes (John); five sisters in law, Marie Revell, Wilma Perry, Shirley Sherard, Paulette Bryant, and Edna Blue (Dan); and six brothers in law, Raymond Smith (Hannah), Ivy Smith, Turner Smith (Ilene), Malcolm Smith (Gwen), Byron Smith (Laurie), Bernard Smith (Yvonne), and a host of caring nieces, nephews,friendsandcolleagues.
Lauraalsolovedtogivebacktotheyouthinhercommunityandtaughtherdaughterstodothesame.From being a Girl Scout leader when her girls were Brownies and Juniors, to tutoring in the community at home and then with IKEMBA Youth Ministry at St. Joseph AME Church, she always made a difference. One of her proudest moments was when she helped start the Women and Math Mentoring Program (WAM) in Durham in1997.
Laura and John had 57 years of fun, adventure, and love together. The marriage produced two daughters, Marchia, and Marjorie, who were the joy and frustration (at times) of her life. She loved her annual sister’s weekends, and spending time with her daughters and granddaughters, and nieces. Her favorite places to travel were the beach to listen to the waves and driving through the mountains to see fall colors with her husband.
We know that as she took her last breath here on earth on August 4, 2022, her next breath was in the presenceofGOD,andsheisnowwholeagainwithoutpain. 2022
October 18, 1944 August 4,
God saw you getting tired When a cure was not to be. So He wrapped His arms around you, And whispered, “Come unto me.” With tearful eyes we watched you And saw you fade away. Although we loved you dearly We could not make you stay. So when we saw you sleeping So peaceful and free from pain. We could not wish you to come back, to suffer that all again. Author Unknown ACKNOWLEDGMENT The family of Laura Brooks Smith would like to thank everyone for your prayers, calls, texts, support, and all other acts of kindness during the sickness and passing of our loved one. Saw You Getting TiredGod Services Entrusted to 309 N Queen Street Durham, North Carolina 27701
