Beverly Jean Phillips Smith passed away January 16, 2026 after a brief illness, on the 55th anniversary of her mother's death.

Beverly was born on October 12, 1933 in Atlanta, Georgia to loving parents Marion Hull "Jack" Phillips and Mildred Elizabeth Burpitt Phillips.

She lived in Atlanta until she was 17, enjoying a childhood of books, riding her beloved horse "Lucky", and an active imagination.

A great storyteller, one of her favorites was when she took Lucky on a tour of the family's new home on Jett Road in Atlanta.  She led Lucky up the back staircase into the house, whereupon, in true equine fashion, Lucky deposited his calling card on the newly polished dining room floor!

Beverly or "Tookie" as her father nicknamed her, was blessed with a beautiful singing voice and she sang often.  A talented orator, she won several speaking contests in high school.

Her father was transferred briefly to New Jersey and she graduated from Long Branch High School in 1951.

Returning to Atlanta, she followed her love of children and teaching to pursue a major in elementary education at Oglethorpe University.

On February 2, 1953 she met her future husband, Frank Hughes "Hugh" Smith.  They were married on June 18, 1955 at Peachtree Road Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.  They then moved to Tullahoma, Tennessee where Hugh was employed at Arnold Engineering Development Center.  In the mid 1960's, AEDC sent Hugh on a one-year assignment to the Von Karmaan Institute in Brussels, Belgum.  While living there, Beverly immersed herself in European culture, becoming fluent in French and mastering the art of French cuisine.  A lover of travel, she made it her mission to take her young family to as many countries as possible during that year.

The family moved back to Tullahoma, where Beverly finished her degree at MTSU, starting her teaching career at East Lincoln Elementary School in Tullahoma. The family later moved to Murfreesboro and Beverly taught at the Old Rock School in Smyrna and was on the original staff of David Youree Elementary when it opened in 1975.

She loved teaching and used a variety of innovative methods in her classroom, including singing, acting and creative writing.  Fifth grade was her favorite grade to teach, and many of her former students will remember her fondly for her beautiful smile and words of encouragement.  Life in her classroom was anything but dull, as she had the talent of creating both an enriching learning environment with a perfect balance of order and discipline.

Beverly left teaching in 1989 to become a peer evaluator in the Career Ladder Program for the State of Tennessee. Traveling the state, she was able to use her talents to encourage and lead other educators.

Retiring in 1993, she pursued her love of travel.  Her most cherished trip was a two-week trip to Israel, where she was baptized in the Jordan River.  She was very involved as a member of Northside Baptist Church and also led numerous bible studies in her home, often with curriculum that she wrote.

"Tookie" will be remembered for her love of cardinals, gardenias, the color red, the beach, and cooking her signature dishes, including Cheese Grits, Coq au Vin, Strawberry Cake and an unrivaled beef stew.

Life with "Tookie" was never dull, and her family cherishes the many songs, sayings, poems and bible verses that she was so faithful to both sing and speak to them.  Most of all, she will be remembered for her love for God and the study of His word.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by grandsons Hayden Tucker and Alex Tucker.

She is survived by her husband Hugh of Osprey, Florida as well as her son Scott (Ranae) also of Osprey, and her daughter Jeanie Tucker (Ken) of Readyville, beloved sister, Lynne Kelly (Stu) of Hiram, Georgia, granddaughters Ashleigh Smith and Lynae Smith of Brentwood, Mary Elizabeth Tucker of Murfreesboro, great granddaughter Clara Tucker of Madison, great grandson Braxton Tucker of Brunswick, Georgia as well as several nieces and many loving friends.

Services for Beverly will take place at a later date.

Memorials may be sent to: Portico at 726 South Church Street, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 37130.

"But, one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus".             Phillipians 3: 13, 14