Betty Mae Smith Dobson, age 103, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2024, in Nashville.
The second of four daughters, Betty was born in the small southern town of Statesboro, Georgia, on July 9th, 1921, to Cora Mae Blitch Smith and Harry Warthen Smith.
During her formative education in Statesboro, she excelled, graduating as valedictorian of her high school class.
She was musically gifted and won Georgia’s Classical Piano State Competition. She also represented Statesboro as a pageant queen.
She attended two years of college in Statesboro at the precursor of what is now Georgia Southern University. She then transferred to Vanderbilt University in 1940, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business.
Soon after her arrival at Vanderbilt, she met the love of her life, Matt Dobson. Together, they enjoyed life, making lifelong friends. But these were war years, which added a unique challenge to their college experience and plans for the future.
In addition to his chosen curriculum, Matt enrolled in the newly formed Naval College Training program, designed to supplement our country’s force of naval officers. Following his Vanderbilt graduation in March 1943, Matt enrolled in the Naval Midshipmen’s School at Columbia University in New York. Their wedding, planned to occur in Statesboro following Matt’s midshipmen’s school graduation, had to be changed when days before graduation, Matt’s leave was cancelled and he had received orders to report within days of graduation for active duty in San Diego. Their wedding was quickly relocated to New York, taking place immediately following his graduation, with their parents, sisters and a few friends able to be present.
As newlyweds, they then boarded the train to California! Matt trained in piloting, landing craft in preparation for the Invasion of Japan. He received orders to ship out in August 1945. The atomic bombs ended the war and the U.S. invasion forces became occupation forces following Japan’s surrender.
Betty had returned to Statesboro when Matt left for Japan. After his discharge in February of 1946, they returned to Nashville, where Matt joined his father and uncles in the family business. They soon started their family and Betty treasured her role as mother to her four children.
Betty quickly adopted her new hometown, expanding her wide circle of friends, volunteering in the community, becoming involved in many organizations and supporting Matt’s efforts in his business. She was inspired to make a difference and was well-equipped to do so with her business and accounting acumen, her intellect and her sense of fairness and responsibility. Very dependable and a person of great integrity, she was gracious and innately kind. Her creativity, enthusiasm and subtle sense of humor added to whatever effort or undertaking in which she was involved. She enjoyed outwardly supporting, encouraging and helping others.
Betty enjoyed serving as a Girl Scout troop leader, Belle Meade Country Club member and as a member of the Nashville Junior League, the Ladies Hermitage Association Board, Vanderbilt Alumni Committees and the Centennial Club, where she served as president.
Betty first attended West End Methodist as a new student at Vanderbilt. By chance, West End was also Matt’s family's church for generations. West End has held a special place in her heart and was an integral part of her life for 84 years. She found sanctuary, thoughtful reflection, joy and a sense of peace in the beauty of the church, and community and purpose of serving in the congregation. She was especially inspired by the music at West End.
Betty enjoyed a good game of bridge, cooking and entertaining, traveling with friends, Vanderbilt basketball, gathering a group of family or friends at their cabin in Monteagle and lingering around a dining table to tell old stories.
She loved chocolate, caramel cake and ice cream, little children and babies in particular, newly polished silver, a hearty laugh, a warm blanket, favorite old hymns, daffodils in the Spring and yellow maples in the Fall. She relished simple time spent together with family or friends.
She was devoted to her husband, Matt, and cherished their 74 years of marriage. She treasured her role as Mother and as “Mama Bett” to six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She loved her extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews and friends of all ages who added so much to her life.
Betty and Matt were members of “The Greatest Generation,” developing a strong sense of family, a deep love of friends, a deep faith, a sacred sense of honor, commitment and loyalty, perseverance, resilience and courage that colored their entire lives.
Betty was predeceased by her parents, Cora and Harry Smith; her husband, Matt Hughes Dobson IV; and her sisters, Jean Smith Mathews and Joyce Smith Lovett.
She is survived by her sister, Peggy Lynn Smith Agee (Jack) of Baltimore, Md.; her four children, Jean Smith Dobson Caplinger Farris (Bill) of Nashville, Lillian "Lil" Ezzell Dobson McAulay (Al) of Charlotte, N.C.; Matt Hughes Dobson V (Ann) of Franklin and Cora Sophia Dobson of Nashville. “Mama Bett” delighted in her six grandchildren, Betty Caplinger Harvey (Stan), Lexington, Ky.; Mac McAulay (Lindsay), Raleigh, N.C.; Smith McAulay (Susanne), Asheville, N.C.; Matt McAulay (Blythe), Charlotte, N.C.; Matthew Dobson VI, New York, N.Y.; and Walt Dobson, Nashville. Grandchildren by marriage include Will Farris (Ellen), Spring Hill, Tenn.; and Mallie Farris Almon (Joe), Spring Hill, Tenn.
We are grateful to have loved and been loved by her.
A celebration of Betty’s life will be Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. at West End United Methodist Church with the Rev. Will McLeane officiating.
Visitation will precede the service at noon in Reed Hall.
For those unable to attend in person, the service can be viewed via live-streaming at www.westendumc.org/livestreaming.
Following the service, interment will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210.
The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ben Womack for his dedicated care, to friends at Blakeford Independent Living, to family friends at Brookdale Assisted Living and to the staff at Blakeford, Burton Court, Brookdale, Woodcrest and Alive Hospice. A warm thank you also to our friends, Misty Larson, Sarah Princehorn and the Sarah Cares team.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to the Music Ministry at West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203; or to an organization that makes your heart sing!
Statesboro Herald, November 14, 2024
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