May 21, 1940 ~ September 20, 2026 (age 86)
The funeral for Janet Morris Smith, 86, of Opelika, Alabama, will be at 11 a.m., Friday, September 25, 2026, at Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home in Opelika, Alabama with burial in Garden Hill Cemetery. The Reverend Rick Lane will officiate.
Mrs. Smith, who died September 20, 2026 in Opelika, Alabama, was born May 21, 1940, in Dothan, Alabama.
Although a native of Geneva, Alabama, she first lived in Enterprise, Alabama, Atlanta, Georgia and New York City, New York, before moving to Geneva with her parents and brother. She graduated from Geneva High School in 1958.
She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Drewry Hampton Morris, III of Geneva. Her father “Hamp” Morris, mother Pallie Casey Brown Morris, and brother Drewry Hampton Morris IV of Auburn, Alabama, preceded her in death.
Her husband of thirty years, Bobby Denson Smith, was a native of Anniston, Alabama. He preceded her in death December 2, 1992.
Mrs. Smith went to Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia and participated in the 1960 Hollins Abroad in Paris program, attending the University of Paris Sorbonne and living with a French family.
In 1962, Mrs. Smith received a B.A. degree from Auburn University, where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She majored in French and minored in History and English.
After marrying in 1962, she taught at the Episcopal Day School in Gadsden, Alabama. She and her husband then moved to Auburn where she worked at the Auburn Bulletin She began teaching French privately which she continued after moving to Opelika.
Except for two years in Panama City, Florida, and one year in Ashland, Alabama, the Smiths remained in Opelika where she was active as a Girl Scout Leader of Troop 121, participated in many civic and church organizations, and worked for a time at the Opelika-Auburn News.
Mrs. Smith and her family were members of the First Methodist Church of Opelika where she sang in the Chancel Choir.
In 1981, she received a B.S. degree from Auburn University. She also received a B.S. degree in Latin at Troy University. She taught one year at Lee – Scott Academy before beginning a 35 year career teaching English, French and Latin and serving six years as the newspaper sponsor at Opelika High School.
Her love of languages and travel led to organizing trips to Europe for adults, students and family members. She also continued to attend various schools in France, living with French families.
She was actively involved with many foreign language organizations as a member and officer and served as president of the Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers in 1992.
Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Stella and Penn Winston Rooker, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia; one son and daughter-in-law, Morris Denson Smith and Kimberly Blue Smith of Opelika, Alabama; four grand-children, Brittany Rooker Wash (Zack) of Nashville, Tennessee, Robert “Bobby” Winston Rooker (Emily) of Atlanta, Georgia, Foster Blue Hulsey and Elvie Marie Smith of Opelika, Alabama; one great-grandson Walker Winston Wash of Nashville, Tennessee; and several nieces and nephews.
A special thank you to The Harbor at Opelika, where she has called home for the past year and a half. We are so grateful for the care, kindness and support they have given her during this time.
Visitation will be at 5-7 p.m., Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home in Opelika, Alabama.
Memorials may be made to the First Methodist Church of Opelika or Compassus Auburn Bethany House Inpatient Hospice.
Jeffcoat – Trant Funeral Home in Opelika is directing.
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