Phyllis Dunn Smith Heath was born the oldest child to Earl Henry Dunn and Adele Ledford Dunn in Butler, GA on May 8, 1931. She was raised in Taylor County, graduated from Butler High School and then Tift College School of Home Economics in 1951. Phyllis met and married James Talmadge Smith (Jimmy), also a native Taylor Countian, while he was attending Mercer University School of Pharmacy in Atlanta. They married at Butler Baptist Church on July 29, 1951, in a ceremony officiated by Phyllis’s father. Jimmy joined the Air Force which led to their relocation to Oklahoma where their first child was born in 1953. Returning to Butler that same year, they purchased Porter Drug Store and established Smith’s Pharmacy in 1953. To this day, this pharmacy remains an integral part of the community. Phyllis and Jimmy were blessed with eight children, raising all in Taylor County. When their children were young, they established a strong work ethic by having the children work at home, the farm, the drug store, and various jobs, including a paper route before and after school. With the funds saved from the paper route, Phyllis purchased and operated her family business, NuWay Cleaners, for many years. Jimmy passed away in 1997. Phyllis later married her lifelong friend and Taylor County native, Harold Heath. Harold preceded Phyllis in death in 2020. As Jimmy and Harold both served as Mayor of Butler, Phyllis was long considered Butler’s First Lady and the Matriarch of Taylor County.
 

Phyllis was a teacher at First Baptist Church Kindergarten for many years and then Taylor County High School for more than twenty years. She taught Home Economics, Food Service, and Applied Math, where she had the joy of building relationships with her students and staff and sponsoring and leading multiple student organizations. She was Senior Sponsor and chaperoned numerous class trips and fundraisers well into her sixties. She left this world protecting many a senior trip secret!

One of her passions was Key Club and Kiwanis Club where she served as the local club sponsor, was an active Kiwanis member and treasurer, and was Central Administrator of Georgia District Key Club for many years. During her service with Key Club, she learned about The Georgia Sheriff Youth Homes organization and became a strong advocate for their mission. Phyllis met and worked with so many young people and adults throughout the state of Georgia and enjoyed numerous events and adventures traveling with Key Club and Kiwanis over the years. She empowered young people to develop their leadership skills, fostering a spirit of service for others.

Phyllis was an active member of First Baptist Church Butler for over 80 years! Baptized by her father as a child, Phyllis led a life of service at her church teaching RAs, directing Vacation Bible School, teaching Ruth Clark, Amzie Wilson and Senior Adult classes over many years. She found a unique purpose in the church kitchen. Being trained by Lennie Walker, Phyllis led Wednesday night suppers and all special events for over 30 years. She was proud to be asked to design and select the appliances for the new church fellowship hall/kitchen addition. She also delivered meals and Reach Out and Touch gifts across Taylor County for many years to shut-ins who were often younger than Phyllis herself.

In later life, Phyllis served for more than 20 years on the Taylor County DFACS Board. This continued her desire to ensure that deserving people had full access to community resources. Her passion spilled over to her family as she challenged them to forgo Christmas gift-giving in order to provide housing, transportation, utilities, and healthcare for those in need.

Phyllis loved reading a daily newspaper and staying abreast of current events. She was a huge Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs fan. She enjoyed traveling to see her grandchildren and great grandchildren, cheering them on in sporting events and performances. Perhaps her favorite times of year were Smith Weddings, Smith Christmas, and the Smith Beach Trip. At the beach, you may have found her cooking butterbeans, creamed corn, meatloaf, and the works for whoever dropped in. She set off many condo smoke alarms with her streak-0-lean!

Phyllis’s table was a spiritual and welcoming place where her family and friends could find delicious food, conversations, and care. She believed in creating more table space and adding chairs rather than reducing the guest list. Many of those guests were unexpected friends of her children, but they all knew they were welcome. She often didn’t know who spent the night in the many beds and on the sofas until she “checked the beds” the next morning! She prepared hundreds of birthday cakes and wedding cakes throughout her community, made ham biscuits for every sunrise service, and labored over homemade dressing for many Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.

Her life was dedicated to high expectations, ministry and witness to others, leading by example, self-sacrifice, fulfilling her God-given purpose, and putting on the full armor of the Lord each day. Her clear and focused standards for living led her to be named The Gracious Lady of Georgia in 1979. Phyllis cultivated service to others, strong family ties, and fulfilled the mission God placed on her life with grace and humility.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Adele Dunn, her husband Jimmy Smith and her husband Harold Heath, her sons Wayne Smith and Phil Smith, and her siblings Shirley Neugebauer, Sonny Dunn, Buddy Dunn, and Kay Scott; and a great-granddaughter, Hailey Holder Allen.

Phyllis is survived by her children Allen (Dawn) Smith, Terry Smith, Edie (Jeff) Baxley, Steve (Dana) Smith, Todd (Hayley) Smith, Dane (Judy) Smith, and Tia (Pate) Neely. She is also survived by a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, and their spouses totaling 99 members of her family tree … and counting!

Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 3, 2026, at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church.  Burial will follow in Butler Memorial Cemetery.  Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 5 to 7 pm in the FBC Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Georgia Sheriffs Youth Home at www.georgiasheriffsyouthfoundation.org or FBC at https://engage.suran.com/fbcbut/s/give/new-gift

You may sign the online guest register at www.mcleightonfuneralservice.com

McLeighton Funeral Service of Butler is in charge of arrangements.