Helen Glenn Smith Etheridge

Helen Glenn Smith Etheridge August 9, 1932 – January 18, 2016 Helen Glenn Smith Etheridge of Wilson passed away peacefully on January 18, 2016 at Vidant of Greenville Inpatient Hospice from complications following recent heart surgery and subsequent strokes. She joins Selby, her beloved husband of sixty-three years, who passed on March 27, 2015. Born on August 9, 1932 to Thomas “Sam” Smith and Nancy Davis in Lenoir County, Helen’s life is a story of humble beginnings in a large and close family. In her teens, she found her spiritual home in the Mormon Church. In her late teens and early 20’s, she completed a secretarial business curriculum at King’s Business College in Raleigh, then married her soul mate and life partner, became the proud mother of two loving daughters and for twenty-nine years excelled in a fulfilling career as Administrative Assistant to the Director of Nursing at Wilson Memorial Hospital, Wilson. Helen was and remained all her life a beautiful person inside and out, although ever modest and dismissive of her obvious physical attractiveness and other many gifts. She believed that one’s outward appearance and other traits such as intelligence and talent are God-given and entrusted to you. The true measure of your worth lies in what you choose to do with these gifts. As she was fond of saying to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren “pretty is as pretty does.” Helen truly embodied the essence of merit in her life choice of unconditional love for family and all of humanity. She lived an active and joyful life full of a strong and fierce conviction of her ethics and values. Helen was trusting in the innate goodness of people, carried herself with a charming combination of humility, dignity, grace and style, and always served as a moral compass for her family. She was a shining example of the outward manifestation of loving kindness and generosity. Her warm smiles, lilting laughter and sincere welcome into her home to share her delicious home-cooked meals and treats will be greatly missed but never forgotten. Helen is survived by her daughters, Debra Glenn Larsen and husband, Michael “Mike” of St. George, Utah, and Wanda Jo Etheridge of Wilson; her grandchildren, Dara Glenn Larsen-Kuerth and husband, Jerrod of St. George, Utah, Kathryn Amanda Larsen-Spagnolo and husband, Justin of St. George, Utah, Micah Rand Larsen of Austin, Texas, and Bret Anderson Larsen and wife, Bree of Gilbert, Arizona; nine great-grandchildren; her sister, Gertie Sutton; several nieces and nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, Selby A. Etheridge, Jr.; her parents, and her sisters, Verna Jenkins, Martha “Mankie” Webb, Evelyn Dawson, and Faye Loftin. The family will receive friends 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2615 Tilghman Road, Wilson. Her funeral services will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. in the chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2615 Tilghman Road, Wilson. Interment will follow in Evergreen Memorial Park, 2800 Nash Street, Wilson. Condolences may be directed to www.joyners.net.