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In Memoriam
Daisy Smith RN – August 24, 1924 – March 20, 2020
Daisy Lancaster Jones Smith passed away peacefully in her
home on March 20, 2020, at the age of 95. She was born to
George Lancaster and Omelia Strong August 26, 1924, in E.
St. Louis, IL. She was the youngest of four children and was
preceded in death by her parents and siblings James, Sallie
and Charles.
Daisy married Arthur Henry
Jones and three children were born to their union: Caryn,
Donna and Arthur, Jr. Widowed at a young age with three
small children, Daisy worked as a housekeeper and a
cafeteria worker to support her family.
The family spent their early
years living in the Port Lawrence Homes. During this time,
she became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She later
became affiliated with Rose of Sharon Holiness Church of
God.
Her ambition and interest in
health were the driving forces that led her from
housekeeping to pursue a nursing career. She began her
educational journey as a student in the first practical
nursing program offered in Toledo. She went on to become a
Licensed Practical Nurse. Daisy worked as an LPN at
Riverside Hospital, while attending classes to become a
Registered Nurse.
Daisy graduated with honors
and as "Best All Around Nurse" from Maumee Valley Hospital
(now University of Toledo) in 1963 as a Registered Nurse.
She continued her RN career at Riverside until 1969. From
1969 to 1975, she worked concurrently as Assistant Clinical
Manager at Mercy Hospital and Manager at Parkview Hospital.
She also organized and managed the Batavia Developmental
Center in Batavia, Ohio. In 1996, she received her Bachelor
of Education from the University of Toledo. Her pursuit of
learning never stopped. After receiving her bachelor’s
degree, she continued studies toward a master's degree. |
Daisy Lancaster Jones Smith
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Daisy’s health activism
resulted in community outreach that assisted African
Americans with greater access to health care and
preventative health education. She was a staunch supporter
of the Cordelia Martin Health Center from its beginning. In
1975, Daisy organized the Cordelia Martin Health Center
Auxiliary to coordinate volunteer support and raise funds.
She later served as the center’s Coordinator of Health
Education.
In 1981, Daisy joined forces
with fellow nurses Mary Gregory and Donna Todd to found the
Toledo Council of Black Nurses. The organization played a
pivotal role in mentoring and increasing the number of black
nurses in the area. She rightly saw this as crucial to
increasing the distribution of health resources to African
American and other underserved communities. The Council
provided scholarships to nursing students and partnered with
medical institutions and civic organizations to carry out
preventative health education programming for over three
decades.
Between the mid-1980s and
mid-1990s, Daisy was involved in research and local and
state commissions on minority health. To redress the dearth
of scholarly publications on minority health disparities,
Daisy worked with Dr. James Price of the University of
Toledo on studies published in The Journal of the National
Medical Association, Journal of School Health and The
Journal of Community Health. These publications covered a
range of topics including physical fitness, prostate cancer,
blood vessel diseases, weight among adolescents and women's
perceptions of breast cancer and mammography. She ultimately
co-authored 10 publications with Dr. Price and other members
of his team. This work was also associated with
grant-funded, programs for 16-19 year-old African-American
youth In Toledo Public Schools and the Child Study
Institute.
Daisy continued to play a
pivotal role in preventative health education and
diversifying the field of nursing. Most notably, in 2010,
she was instrumental in Lourdes University (then Lourdes
College) receiving a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from
the US Department of Health & Human Services.
Daisy has received numerous
accolades for her tireless work as a health educator and
activist. In 1998, a portion of The Cordelia Martin Center
on Nebraska Ave. was named the Daisy Smith Clinic. After the
Center moved to its larger permanent location, space
dedicated to children’s healthcare was named Daisy Smith
Pediatrics. She received a Legacy Award along with Mary
Gregory and Donna Todd in 2008 and was inducted into the
Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.
Her passion for getting
African Americans to vote and be a part of political process
was equally strong. She was often involved in campaigns for
local office and volunteered at local headquarters for
gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. In fact, she was
among those who successfully pushed to have the first
political campaign established in Toledo’s inner city.
Daisy’s community activities
also included the Jewel Chapter Order of the Eastern Stars,
Black Women's Democratic Caucus, Daughter of Isis Masonic
Fraternal Order, Coalition of Voter Registration and
Education, as well as the Legislative Committee of the
Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Daisy’s youthful exuberance
often led people to assume that she was younger than her
actual age. She often stated her age as “39 and holding,”
codified in a pendant she wore with just that phrase, gifted
to her by her granddaughter-in-law.
Daisy leaves to mourn
children Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins
of Toledo, OH, and Arthur H. Jones, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA;
four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and 2
great-great grandchildren; life-long friends Arlena Childs,
Doris Greer, Doni Miller and Donna Todd – and a host of
relatives and friends.
In her honor, all are
encouraged to donate to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the
Cordelia Martin Community Health Center.
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Copyright © 2019 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised:
04/23/20 18:40:43 -0400. |
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