Helen Clark Smith, 82, of Greenville, SC, peacefully fell asleep in the Lord on May 1, 2025.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Helen Hodges Clark, her father, Warren Worthington Clark, and her brother, Warren “Rusty” Clark, Jr.
She is survived by her husband; Denby H. Smith; brother, Charles B. Clark (Cynthia); nephew Charles B. Clark, Jr.; cousin, Charles “Skippy” Hodges; daughters, Shannon Murphy and Emily Cook (Ray); son, David Murphy (Susan); granddaughter, Ella Grace Cook, and grandsons, Joseph and John Murphy.
Helen was raised on the Tennessee River in the town of Sheffield, Alabama. She had a close group of friends from kindergarten through high school, and she attended many class reunions for the SHS Class of 1961. Helen graduated from Queens College in 1965 and married Brian M. Murphy in 1966. After years of working in the home, Helen enjoyed a new-found career as a loan officer at Michelin Tire Corporation Federal Credit Union. At Michelin, she met her current husband, Denby Smith. They were married in September of 1997. After retiring from Michelin, she worked part-time at First Baptist Church of Greenville supporting their missions and pastoral care efforts.
Helen’s interests in retirement included taking classes in the OLLI program at Furman, beekeeping, working in her yard, and traveling to a variety of destinations, such as Japan, China, Tibet, the Holy Land, Portugal, France, Wales, and Greece. She and her husband Denby enjoyed traveling together and were active members of their church community at Christ Episcopal Church in Greenville.
Helen’s family would like to express deep appreciation for the wonderful care that she received during this last stage of her life. Special thanks to Dr. Paige Ganem, Dr. Michael Greenbaum, and Dr. Steven Allgood of Prisma. All the nurses and staff of Family Hospice in Greenville gave exceptionally compassionate care to Helen in her last days. There are many at Rolling Green Village in Greenville who also provided care and support for Helen and her family, including Sylvia, Mauda, Shannon, Tracey, Danielle, and Pam. All these good folks and many more have given selflessly to care for Helen and her family.
The funeral service will be on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. in the Markley Chapel at Christ Episcopal Church. A reception will follow until 6:00 p.m. Helen will be buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield, Alabama.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Project Host Partner Ministry of Christ Episcopal Church or directly to the Project Host Soup Kitchen
