Mary L. Smith

funeral director, founder and CEO, Smith & Thomas Funeral Homes, Chicago, Illinois, died June 11, 2025.

She was a Jehovah’s Witness and viewed as a trendsetter in the funeral service profession. Smith is the only woman in Illinois to have successfully operated three locations. A portion of the street on which her main location stands has been renamed Smith & Thomas Way, and two Illinois cemeteries have a Mary Smith Way on their grounds.

Smith is survived by children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.