Marjorie Eleanor Turner Smith went to be in the arms of the Lord on October 24, 2016 in The Woodlands, Texas. She was 96 years old.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri on February 8, 1920, Eleanor was the daughter of Colonel Howard Winthrop Turner and Lena Eleanore Willard Turner. While growing up she lived on Army bases throughout the Central and Western United States. Eleanor was particularly fond of Cheyenne, Wyoming where she could ride horses since her father served in the horse drawn field artillery. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1941 with honors completing a double major in English Literature and Drama and was the president of her Delta Delta Delta sorority.

During her freshman year she met the love of her life, Jimmie Cyrus Smith, Jr., on a blind date. They dated through college and were married on October 18, 1941 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They had been married for 71 years when Jimmie died in 2012.

Eleanor taught Junior High School during WWII while Jimmie was fighting in the Pacific. After the war she focused her efforts on raising her family and participating actively in the community. They lived in Tulsa and Bartlesville, OK; Evansville, IN; Denver, CO; Midland, TX; and longest in Shreveport, LA. While living in Shreveport she starred in community theater productions, was president of the Panhellenic, and was an accomplished bridge player. In 1974 Eleanor accompanied Jimmie to the Philippines and then Singapore where he worked until retiring to Houston, TX in 1984. They enjoyed Houston's theater and opera events as well as entertaining friends and neighbors. While overseas, they began traveling the world, a pursuit which continued until shortly before Jimmie's death. They went to many out of the way destinations such as Afghanistan in 1979 and Easter Island in 2007. Until their later years they typically hired a local guide to drive them through the country rather than participating in organized group tours.

Eleanor brought beauty, energy, and life to every room she entered. She was a wonderful partner for Jimmie and a great encourager for their children. Their education was enhanced by her remarkable memory and education which she shared through the numerous poems she would quote from memory, her knowledge of history, her vocabulary, and her use of the English language.

Eleanor is survived by Michael (& Jane) Smith of The Woodlands, TX, Gregory Smith of Ambergris Caye, Belize, and Brian (& Paula) Smith of Golden, CO. She is also survived by seven grandchildren; Rachel, Michael, Brian, Brendan, Daniel, Tellen, and Kerry Smith.