Lillie Mae Ragin Smythe

May 6, 1923 - January 24, 2020

Lillie Mae “Tina” Smythe, widow of Sylvester “Stump” Smythe was born on May 6, 1923 to the late Pickney Aaron Ragin Sr. and Millie Delia McBride Ragin. She departed this earthly life on Friday, January 24, 2020. Lillie Mae was the fourth of ten children, born and raised in South Carolina. She was raised in a Pentecostal Holiness home and was educated in the public schools of Clarendon County. Lillie Mae and Sylvester were married on January 9, 1947, and to this loving union six children were born (five sons and one daughter). Sylvester was a farmer and Lillie Mae took care of the children, home and garden. She was an excellent cook and fulfilled these duties with so much love. Their first three children, Sylvester Jr., Robert and Hampton were born in South Carolina. The family migrated to Harlem, New York in the mid-50s, and then to Brooklyn. There were three more children, Elliott, Leonard and Millie. Lillie Mae worked as a seamstress in a garment factory, and her husband worked for the police department. After the children were grown, Lillie Mae and Sylvester returned back to Summerton, South Carolina. She was a warm-hearted person, who devoted her life to God and her family. Mrs. Smythe enjoyed the music of Mahalia Jackson, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, and the Swan Silvertones, which encouraged her sound relationship with God. All who knew Mrs. Smythe were so blessed, as she was a wonderful person, sweet, loving, and God-fearing woman…“If you had not been touched by her, you would have wished that you had.” As matriarch of the family, she lived her last three years at the Blue Ridge Nursing Home of Sumter. The staff loved and cared for her deeply, as if they were providing for their own. She was so well adored. Mrs. Lillie Mae Smythe was a dedicated servant of God. Proverbs 3:17-18 states, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace; she is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is everyone that retained her.” Lillie Mae was a long-time member of Taw Caw Missionary Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sylvester “Stump” Smythe Sr., two sons Sylvester Smythe Jr., and Hampton Smythe, seven siblings, Pinckney Jr., Annie Mae Liza, Daisy, George, John Bee, Willean and Robert. Lillie Mae leaves to cherish her precious memories four children: Robert (Yvonne) Smythe, SC, Elliott (Loura) Smythe, VA, Leonard (Christina) Smythe, NJ and Millie McFadden, SC; 17 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; two siblings, Hampton Ragin and Emma (Ezekiel) Hill; one sister-in-law Lena Riley Ragin, SC and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.