Barbara L. Castleberry

Barbara Lou Castleberry Smith

“Memaw”

Called home early morning on November 12, 2025

Memaw left this world the same gentle way she lived in it: quietly, peacefully, and surrounded by love.

To know Memaw was to be wrapped in the kind of love that never asked for anything in return. She greeted every soul with that beautiful smile and soft spirit, always giving, always gracious. She was poise and picture-perfect charm in her Sunday best, yet just as happy in blue jeans tending her flowers or cooking a feast for a house full of family. A caretaker to the core, she opened her home and her heart to anyone who needed it—no questions asked, no invitation required.

Memaw could turn a kitchen into a sanctuary. Her homeade stuffing & her Memaw Macaroni are already legendary, but it was the love she stirred into every recipe that made them unforgettable. She poured that same love into her art—paintings, quilts, drapes, and upholstery so lovely they still brighten every room. She could sew anything, paint anything, grow anything. Gardens bloomed because she whispered to them. Children and grandchildren bloomed because she believed in them.

She was our steady light through every storm, the soft voice that said “we’ll get through this” when sorrow came, the faithful hand that lifted us when we fell. Even now, heaven feels a little brighter because she’s there.

Preceded in death by

Her beloved husband, Therman Smith

Her father, Raymond B. Dale Smith

Her mother, Mitbrey Kirkland

Grandmother, Bessie Kirkland

Brothers, Raymond & Dale Smith

Sister, JoAnne Willingham

Survived by her cherished children

Debra Stovall

Vickey Busch

Cherie Smith

Her adored grandchildren

(Eldest to youngest)

Coby Busch

Kimberly Dockins

Charlie Richey

Amber Busch

Ryan Stovall

David "Dusty" Stovall

Emily Hogan

Great-grandchildren

An amazing 17 and still counting

And a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who were family because she decided they were.

One Breathe Away (Poem for the back)

The house now falls silent and still,

Her coffee cup sits quiet no longer filled.

She faced every storm without fear,

Her love always steady, always near.

She held us through sorrow and pain,

And taught us to rise up yet again.

Her light was a soft, faithful glow,

A gift that she shared here below.

It brightened the hardest of days,

And guided us gently always.

Heaven has welcomed her home,

No longer on earth will she roam.

Her soul still shines through every

piece of art she’s painted & drawn.

The one some knew as Barbara &

others, the one & only, Memaw, who

forever lives on.

Yet still in our hearts she will stay,

Forever, holding her close, just one

breath away.

~ D.S.

Memaw didn’t just leave memories—she left pieces of her heart in every one of us. We will love her, miss her, and smile through the tears until we’re one breath away again.