Obituary Donated by Neal Byrge


From The Corbin News Journal 31 Jul 2002


Naomi "Tommy" Smith Watson, 88, Corbin, passed away Friday, July 26, 2002 in the Baptist Regional Medical Center.

She was born September 26, 1913 in the Meadow Creek area of Whitley County to the late Henry LaMance Smith and Mima Terrell Smith. Naomi graduated from Corbin High School in 1931 and from Union College in 1935. She taught in the Corbin school system several years before returning to school and working as an accountant.

She married Arthur Watson in 1936. She worked in Oak Ridge, Tennessee while he served in the Army during World War II. Later she worked for Major William Parient at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. After the war, she and her husband moved to Dallas, Texas where he was a member of a quartet that sang regularly on KRLD Radio and was manager of a music company. Naomi was office manager and bookkeeper for the Great Southwest General Hospital Group, and music director of her church.

In 1963, Mr. Watson was transferred to Birmingham, Alabama and Naomi became the bookkeeper for Coalite, Inc., a subsidiary of Brilliant Coal Co. Her husband died in 1967. Naomi's mother lived with her in Birmingham until her death in 1986. In 1990, Naomi returned to Corbin and lived in the Cooper-Heath Apartments until her death.

Naomi was the grandchild of John S. and Julia Ann Terrell, and the niece of Lucy Terrell, Amanda Meeks, Viola Reasor Carter, Dr. Leeland Leslie Terrell, and Steely Terrell, all of whom are deceased. She is survived by cousins Janice Fain, John Terrell, and Bob Terrell and their families, as well as several cousins in the state of Washington.

Funeral services were held Sunday, July 28 at the O'Neil Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in the Resthaven Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be sent to First United Methodist Church of Corbin or to Union College.


     

Last Update Monday, 03-Sep-2018 23:04:40 CDT

 County Coordinator
County Coordinator: Gayle Triller
Copyright © 2018 by the KYGenWeb Team. All
rights reserved. Copyright of submitted items
belongs to those responsible for their authorship or
creation unless otherwise assigned.