Laverne Warwick Smith

LAVERNE WARWICK SMITH, 90, died Oct. 30, 2012, after a fall in her Little Rock apartment. She was born in Royal, Ark., on Feb. 15, 1922, to Lewis and Oza Warwick. She was predeceased by her brother Gordon; sister Mildred and husband, Rudolph. She is survived by their son, Craig; his wife Diann; three grandchildren, Quentin, Lindsey and Blair; brother, Leon and wife Linda; several nephews and one niece. Laverne grew up on her family's farm outside Hot Springs and moved into the city to attend high school. At 24, while working as a dental assistant in the Medical Arts Building, she caught the eye of a dashing young Navy lieutenant just home from the war. She and Rudolph married a few months later, on July 25, 1946. Their son Craig arrived the next year. After Rudolph earned his master's degree he started his career at Shell Oil and Laverne became a model corporate wife. It was not an easy go. During one four-year period the family moved 11 times, everywhere from Houston to Denver to St. Louis to San Francisco to Cleveland. By the time Rudolph retired as credit manager in 1976, they had lived in 28 locations across America. But no matter where they were transferred, or for how brief a time, Laverne managed to make a comfortable, loving home for her family. She always left each place more beautiful than she found it. "Elegant" was a word often used to describe Laverne. She had a good eye. Her signature style was chic and simple, with touches of glamour and whimsy. She was organized, efficient and meticulous — and not a woman who could leave a sink of dirty dishes overnight. Laverne's creative side expressed itself in oil painting, interior design, gardening, and refinishing flea market finds. She enjoyed sewing for her niece Leigh and later for her granddaughter Lindsey. She loved hot pink, classical guitar music and peonies. She was a voracious reader and inspired in her son a love of movies. In 1965 Rudolph and Laverne moved into a penthouse apartment in Manhattan. For the next four years, they lived a life similar to TV's "Mad Men." With best-friend Daisy, Laverne shopped along Fifth Avenue, met their husbands for cocktails at Toots Shor's, and took in Broadway plays. She delighted in frequent sightings of Greta Garbo strolling incognito in the neighborhood. Laverne often referred to these days as the best time of her life. After Rudolph retired, Laverne traded her kitten heels for cowboy boots. The couple moved back to Arkansas and built their dream home on the farm where she was raised. Here they cared for their aging mothers and enjoyed spending time with their three grandchildren (and their beloved German Shepherd, Rommel) and sipping Old Fashioneds from the deck as they watched the sun slip behind the mountains. They traveled frequently and enjoyed the races at Oaklawn. Laverne was famous for picking winners — and that included her wonderful husband and life partner. Rudolph died unexpectedly in 1985 and, at 63, Laverne charted a new course. She moved into Hot Springs where she volunteered at Mid-America Museum and later at National Park Medical Center, where she worked for over 17 years. She was a woman of unswerving determination and fierce independence. And though she and Rudolph had been inseparable for 39 years, she forged a second act on her own terms. Her last two years were spent in Little Rock where she continued to enjoy time with her family, including regular Saturday lunches of bacon-cheese sliders at Bar Louie with her grandchildren. Visitation will be Monday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Gross Funeral Home in Hot Springs. Graveside services to follow at Cunningham Cemetery in Royal. Guests may register at www.grossfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Arkansas, 201 Markham Center Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72205.