Obituary of Bobbie Cowan Smith

Bobbie Cowan Smith, age 93, of Monteagle, Tennessee passed away November 12, 2022. She was born December 29, 1928 in Blackford, KY to parents Robert Eli Cowan and Kenneth Velda Green Cowan. She entered the Kentucky Baptist School of Nursing in Louisville, KY at age 17 and was a registered nurse in 5 states. Bobbie married William Bryan Smith in 1954 at Jackson, TN. She continued her nursing career in Louisville, KY and later in Brookfield, CT where she became interesting in learning sign language for the deaf. Bobbie was mostly self-taught and became proficient at American Sign Language and taught it for years, interpreted church services weekly, and served as the school nurse for a school for the deaf in Pittsburg, PA. She was a faithful member of Morton Memorial Methodist Church for many years. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 54 years, Bill. She is survived by her sons, Charles (Lori) of Cowan, Craig of Monteagle, brother, Don Cowan (Mackey) of Lenoir City, TN, step-daughter, Shelley Smith Mullins (Marc) of Gig Harbor, WA and cousins in western KY. A service will be held at 11:30 A.M. Thursday November 17, 2022 at Cumberland Funeral Home, Monteagle, Tennessee. Burial will immediately follow at Monteagle Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be on Thursday from 10:30 A.M. till 11:30 A.M. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: The American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/ Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing https://www.bridgesfordeafandhh.org/ Online memories and condolences can be shared with the family at www.cumberlandfuneralhome.net. Arrangements by Cumberland Funeral Home, 207 Mabee Avenue, Monteagle, Tennessee 37356.