Wanda Louise Stevens Smith

Wanda Louise Stevens Smith (Tootie) passed away peacefully on September 5, 2026, at home, surrounded by her loved ones, after a life defined by love, family, faith, and unwavering devotion to the people she held closest to her heart.

Wanda was a member of First Baptist Church of Grayson, where her faith was an integral part of her life. She found comfort in her relationship with God and in the promise of being reunited with the loved ones who had gone before her.

At 5:00 AM on Saturday morning, Wanda smiled the biggest, best smile, not once, but three different times. Her daughter, Shannon, and granddaughter, Rhiannon, were with her, and they have no doubt those smiles came as she saw the loved ones who had gone before her: her husband, her son, and her daughter. In those final moments, there was comfort in believing that she was not leaving alone, but going home to the people she had loved and missed for so long.

To her family, Wanda was so much more than a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was the heart of the family and Matriarch to not only her immediate family, but devoted and loved friends. She was there for every first, every milestone, every celebration, and every hard day. She took care of the people she loved and made sure they always knew they were loved in return.

Wanda’s love spanned generations. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with fierce devotion. She was a constant presence throughout their lives. Always there to celebrate the big moments, to love them through the hard ones, and to be there for all the little moments in between. She was the kind of mother whose presence became part of the fabric of her family, and her absence will be felt for generations to come.

And while Wanda was deeply loving, she was also completely herself. She was funny and brutally honest, never one to sugarcoat what she was thinking. She had a way of saying exactly what needed to be said, whether you were ready to hear it or not. But beneath that humor and honesty was a woman full of poise and grace. She carried herself with a quiet strength and dignity that was uniquely her own. Her family will remember her for all of it. The laughter, the stories, the honesty, the strength, and the unmistakable personality that made her who she was.

Those left to cherish her memory include:

Daughter, Dr. Shannon L. Smith-Stephens (Recole), Granddaughter, Rhiannon Hope Greer (Shadow), Great grandchildren, Adley Hope and Emmett Allen Greer, and too many beloved family and friends to name. She will especially be missed by her life-long best friend, Darlene Evans, Fur-baby, Duchess Grace, and “Golden Girls”, Shelvy Greene and Elizabeth “Susie” Smith.

Wanda was preceded in death by:

Her husband of 60 years (just shy of three months), Clyde John Smith, infant daughter, Kimberly Renee Smith, son, Johnnie Allen Smith, and Furbaby, Oscar P De-la Hot Dog. She was the daughter of the late Roy and Mabel (Binion) Stevens and sister of the late Billy Gene Stevens, Christine Greene Barker, and Pauline Williams Colegrove.

Wanda’s greatest joy was her family, and the love she poured into them will continue long after her passing. Though her family finds comfort in knowing she is once again surrounded by the people she loved and missed, there is no denying that the world here will never be the same without her. There will forever be an emptiness where Wanda has always been, but there will also forever be pieces of her in the people she loved so deeply, in the lessons she taught, the memories she created, the laughter she shared, and the love she gave so freely.

Her family takes comfort in knowing that September 5th was not simply a goodbye. It was a homecoming. A reunion with the people she had been missing, and a reminder that love does not end when life does.

Until we meet again.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, September 11, 2026, at Northcutt and Son Home for Funerals Memorial Chapel with Brother Eddie Wiler officiating. Entombment will follow in the Smith-Stephens Family Cemetery in Grahn, Kentucky.

Friends may visit from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, September 10, 2026, and after 9 a.m. on Friday at Northcutt and Son Home for Funerals, 400 Fraley Drive, Morehead, Kentucky 40351.

View memorial tribute or sign guestbook at www.northcuttandson.com