Katrina Catherine Cowen Smith

A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Wesson Baptist Church in Wesson, for Katrina Catherine Cowen Smith. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., followed by the service at 11.
Katrina, 49, daughter of Sonya White Cowen and the late Hollis J. Cowen Jr., was born on March 6, 1972, in Brookhaven and passed away on Aug. 15, 2021, at her home in Greer, Ariz.
She is survived by her mother; her husband, Lane Smith, of Greer, Ariz.; father-in-law, Ed Smith; and brothers-in-law, Lorne Smith, of Wesson; and Lance Smith (Hope), of Clinton.
Katrina was preceded in death by her father; brother, Trey Cowen; grandparents, N.B. and Catherine English White, Belle and Hollis Cowen Sr.; uncle, Calvin White; aunt, Annie Mae Kyzer; uncle, Herbert English; and mother-in-law, Carolyn Smith.
Katrina, mature for her age, began working for Dr. Steve Liverman at age 12. She also worked at Nena’s School of Dance as a studio assistant. She loved to dance and loved working with the children.
Katrina graduated from Wesson High School, attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and studied abroad at Trinity College, Ireland, and the University of West Indies, Jamaica. She graduated with special honors from the University of Southern Mississippi with degrees in psychology as well as hotel, restaurant, and tourism management. While at USM, Katrina and her lifelong friend, Lane, became inseparable and were wed on Sept. 27, 1994, at Wesson Baptist Church.
Katrina worked as a meeting planner at Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center, an event coordinator for USM, and was director of team activities with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International. Through BMDMI, the Smiths missioned to Honduras and Nicaragua while Katrina was responsible for the success of many missionary teams.
In 2006, the couple moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., where Lane was to be a travel nurse for a short time, but the pair were both hired permanently at the hospital. Lane was OR charge nurse while Katrina scheduled and billed the surgeries. Working well together, the couple was recognized many times for their lifesaving work. Katrina was a role model at each job held and always gave her very best in whatever she undertook.
Katrina’s favorite hobby was traveling, visiting 42 states and 27 foreign countries. She was everyone’s travel guide but particularly for Paris, New Orleans, Maui, and Vancouver Island, which she loved and called these her favorite destinations. Katrina traveled to these places frequently and had developed intimate friendships with a sense of community in each spot. Katrina made friends so easily wherever she traveled. This included people and animal friends alike. In some of her human friendships, Katrina actually met their dog first. She was a lover of nature and all animals, especially her two beautiful cats, Kiko and Sonny. Katrina particularly loved horses and being in the backcountry spotting wildlife. In 2020, the Smiths relocated to Greer, Ariz., where they spent their last year together in their lovely log home on a small mountaintop with beautiful views. They were able to be close together and close to God.
Please know Katrina was saved and walked daily with Christ. Katrina and Lane were a deeply-loving couple and treasured each moment that God gave them. She was a wonderful wife to Lane and good friend to many. It is a blessing to know that she experienced a full and abundant life in her very short span while walking daily in God’s light and inspiring others. Find comfort in knowing that Katrina really “lived while she was alive.” In addition to being a beautiful person, inside and out, Katrina is best remembered for her honesty, kindness, and her wonderful smile that lifted others and drew people closer to God.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to the Wesson Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 216, Wesson, MS 39191.