Judith Murdock Smythe, 82, passed peacefully to the next life while surrounded by family in the hospital on December 19, 2023.
Judith was born in Murfreesboro, TN to Edgar and Laurine (Welch) Murdock and was the fifth of the seven Murdock sisters: Joyce, Marian, Faye, Regenia, Judith, Linda and Zana.
Judith graduated from Central High School with the Class of 1959 where she played basketball and played the cornet in the band. While there she met James Thomas (Jim) Smythe of Lascassas, TN and they fell in love and married after high school at Lascassas United Methodist Church. They settled in Murfreesboro and raised a family of four children. This June they celebrated 63 years of marriage.
Judith was a professional level wife and mother, creating a beautiful happy home filled with love and beautiful music. She devoted her life to her husband Jim and her four children, thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She is the grandmother of four Eagle Scouts: Warren, Parker, John and Andrew.
Judith owned J. Smythe Leasing with Jim, bringing employers to their Murfreesboro industrial facilities for over 55 years. She owned 3 more businesses with Jim and supported and encouraged him in all of his business endeavors.
Judith hosted many beautiful and memorable gatherings for business, family and charity at their historic home on Main Street. She loved decorating with beautiful colors and she beautifully decorated their home herself with furnishings and decor true to the period of the home.
She was a lifelong member of Lascassas United Methodist Church and gave glory to God by playing the organ and piano there every Sunday morning for 64 years. She was a member and supporter of the Middle Tennessee Choral Society. Judith loved everything music and was a very accomplished pianist and could play everything from improvisational jazz to Rachmaninoff. Judith was a very positive musical influence on eight of her grandchildren who became accomplished musicians, with grandson Jackson in the University of Alabama Marching Band.
Judith was very involved in and supported religious and social betterment activities, A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee, community music events, historic preservation and wildlife conservation. Like her mother, she had a green thumb and loved gardening. Judith loved her children and grandchildren and cherished the many long afternoons she spent with them. She loved her six sisters and they would talk and visit for hours.
In addition to her parents, Judith was predeceased by her sister Joyce Richards, sister Marian McCullough, sister Regenia Murdock and nephew Thomas Earl Richards.
Surviving in addition to her husband Jim Smythe are her son Jeffrey Smythe and his wife Patricia of Hendersonville, TN, daughter Jill Smythe Lumsden and her husband Chris Lumsden of Murfreesboro, daughter Jennifer Smythe of Murfreesboro, son Jason Smythe of Murfreesboro; grandchildren Jessica Holt and her husband Wally, Warren Smythe, Benjamin Poteet, Amanda Poteet, Parker Smythe, John Lumsden and his wife Kaitlyn, Julia Davis, Jackson Smythe, Andrew Lumsden, Isabella Smythe, James C. Smythe, Carter Smythe and Weston Smythe; great-grandchildren Jaiden Holt, Landen Holt, Monty Escue, Lyra Escue and Gretchen Tayler Poteet, sister Faye Polly and her husband Doug of Titusville, FL, sister Linda Murdock Crosslin of Smyrna, TN, sister Zana Puckett and her husband David of Murfreesboro and eleven nephews and nieces.
Visitation will be at Jennings & Ayers Funeral Home from 2:00-6:00 PM, December 26, 2023, and 11:00 AM until time of funeral service at 1:00 PM, December 27, 2023 officiated by the Reverend Bud Mitchell. Lunch is available from 11 am – 1 pm. Judith’s friend and piano teacher Joshua Layne will play Judith’s favorite hymns and classical piano music during the service. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery. The Pallbearers are grandsons Warren Smythe, John Lumsden, Jackson Smythe, Andrew Lumsden, James C. Smythe and Jaiden Young.
The family would like to thank the wonderful caring staff at Select Specialty Hospital in Nashville for their exceptional care of Judith and the family.
Memorials may be made by donating to A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee in memory of Judith Smythe. Their vision is: to save lives by increasing the safe surrender and eliminating the unsafe abandonment of newborns in every community of our state. Send checks to A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee 215 Ellis Avenue, Maryville, TN 37804 or donate online www.secretsafeplacetn.org
Please leave online condolences for the family at www.jenningsandayers.com Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Church Street, Murfreesboro, TN. 37130. 615-893-2422.
For more obituaries visit https://rutherfordsource.com/obituaries/
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