Stacie Smith

On June 9th, 1972, the world was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. This little girl grew up to be an inspiration to anyone’s life she happened to touch. Everyone who knew her knew how blessed they were to have such a wonderful person in their life.

Stacie was born at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa. Her family moved to Andrews the summer prior to her starting kindergarten in the Fall. She attended Andrews schools beginning in kindergarten (at Underwood) through graduation at Andrews High School in 1990. Stacie was positively influenced by many teachers, directors, and coaches at AISD.  She played tennis from 6th grade through her junior year and then switched to basketball so she could experience more of a team sport. With such a transition, she was very happy to be a “bench warmer” and prayed there would not be so many fouls she would actually be on the court. (Think Brownfield High School, Cheryl Swoopes era!)

Stacie was a member of the Mighty Mustang band. As a child she watched the band take the field with percussion leading out, after that, she was determined to be a drummer. When going to the middle school to pick out the instrument, Stacie told the director she wanted to play the snare drum. He strongly suggested another instrument, but Stacie persisted. He had her hold a snare and showed her how heavy it was, but Stacie persisted. He attached it to a harness and dropped it onto her shoulders, which jerked her shoulder-length hair down with it. He said, “Now what do you want to play?” Stacie looked directly at him with those brown eyes and said, “I want to play the drum.” He said fine! She persisted!

After graduation, Stacie attended Odessa College while working at First National Bank in Andrews. She transferred to Texas Tech University mid-sophomore year. As she would tell many students years later, “If you don’t go to class and do the work, you get to go back home…,” and so she did return to Andrews. She worked various jobs over the next eight years and at age twenty-eight decided it was time to finish what she had started at age eighteen. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. She returned to Texas Tech University and received a Master’s degree in Communication. While employed at Rawls School of Business, students began coming and often wanted to discuss their life issues.

After her time in Lubbock, Stacie moved to Roswell, NM, and became a recruiter for New Mexico Military School. For several years, she enjoyed traveling throughout the country and her personal way of drawing people to her “table” at the recruiting fairs taught this introvert that she could find an extrovert part of herself to help others.

Making a life-altering decision, Stacie moved to the Metroplex. She accepted the direction God had been preparing her for through her life experience… Mental Health Counselor. She worked for Amberton University in Garland while she completed her Master's Degree in Professional Counseling at Amberton. Then Stacie obtained her practitioner hours by working at various hospitals, clinics, and mental health centers in the Metroplex. She persisted and became a Licensed Professional Counselor, L.P.C.

Stacie came back home to Odessa and was thrilled to have made the full circle and return to UTPB as the Mental Health Counselor. She was fulfilling what she knew to be her “mission and calling” for the past four years.

Stacie was an encourager, not only to her student clients but to everyone she met. She had an effervescent glow about her. She could draw a person's deep hurt and pain to the surface so it could be faced and conquered. She held confidences and was trustworthy, dependable, and kind.

She persisted until the Lord said “Come” on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

Our brown-eyed girl will forever be missed by her Daddy, Michael “Mike” (who called her “Punkin”); her mother Mava Smith to whom she was precious, and her sister, Stephanie Jones. She will be dearly missed by her brother-in-law, Raymon “Ray” Jones, of Andrews; nephew Tyler Jones and wife Kelly of Midland; their children, her “great nephews and niece,” Connor, Weston “Wes”, Royce, and Rebecca; nieces Skyler Jones of Midland and Lila Rose Jones of Andrews; nephews Hayden Cole Jones of Midland, and Justin, Duke, Brandon, and Bruce Jones all of Andrews; aunt Kathy Barnett and husband Bobby of Sachse; aunt Terri and Uncle and Glyn Pace of Whidbey Island, WA; aunt Marsha Cox of Goldsmith, Margaret and Harold  Butler of Beeville, Pam Messer Driggers of Jal, NM, cousins Trey Messer of Carlsbad, NM, Melody Pace of Quilcene, WA, Kimberly Butler Etheridge of Taylor, TX, Kris Barnett of Anderson, SC, Bryan Butler of Beeville, Amy Pace of Whidbey Island, WA, Michael Cox of Monahans, Matthew Cox of Goldsmith, Kyla Barnett Kincaid of Wylie, and Kathy Pace O’Brien of Wylie; and Great Aunt Mava Peterson Johnson of Midland.

Those welcoming her home include paternal granddad Merce Smith; paternal grandparents Oleta and Leonard Messer; maternal grandparents Bartley “Junior” and Lila Jo Fanning, uncle Carl Messer, and uncle Kim Barnett.

To her many friends, colleagues, clients, and students may we continue to celebrate her persistence. We would like to thank the EMT responders, staff at ORMC ER, Doctor Vincent, Craig Lomax, and Brenda Rubio of Sunset Memorial Gardens for their kindness, compassion, and care they have provided. Precious Stacie, you are loved!

Visitation will be held from 3:00 pm- 5:00 pm Sunday, November 13th at Sunset Memorial Gardens Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm Monday, November 14th at Sunset Memorial Gardens Chapel. Burial will follow.

Memorials may be given to Samaritan’s Purse in honor of Stacie Smith.

Arrangements are entrusted to Sunset Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home. To send condolences to the family, please go sign her guestbook at www.sunsetodessa.com.