Emmett B. Smith

Emmett B. Smith Jr., 77, died Sunday, September 8, 2019, at Drew Memorial Hospital in Monticello, Ark.
A service will be held at Whitesand Baptist Church in Prentiss, on Thursday, September 12, at 10 a.m. Family visitation will be held one hour prior to service time at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church, Hazlehurst, Mississippi, or Whitesand Baptist Church, Prentiss.
Emmett is survived by Barbara Magee Smith, his loving wife of 59 years; his daughters, Memorie Dickson (Dave), and Dana Carol Smith; brothers, Gary Smith (Laura) of Keystone Heights, Fla. and Donnie Smith (Betty) of Meridian; sister, Diane Daughdrill and husband Wesley; and three granddaughters.
Emmett was born and spent his youth in Prentiss. He lived most of his life in Hazlehurst, where he was a teacher, football and track coach, and athletic director at Hazlehurst High School. Emmett spent over 40 years in the insurance and financial services industry. During this time, he hired and trained over 1,000 insurance agents and managers. He was also inducted into Equitable’s Hall of Fame.
Emmett was an active member of First Baptist Church, Hazlehurst, where he served as a deacon and taught Sunday school for 40 years. Emmett will be remembered as a dedicated student and teacher of the Bible. He was an avid reader, with a special interest in Christianity and sports. In 2010, Emmett published Athletes of the Bible, where he used athletics as a metaphor for the Christian life.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church, Hazlehurst, Mississippi, or Whitesand Baptist Church, Prentiss, Mississippi.