Rose Smith, née Bass, passed away on October 19, 2026, in Lakeland, Florida. She was born on March 26, 1939, in Wilson, North Carolina, and lived a life marked by devotion to her family, steady work, deep faith, and a spirit that was as loving as it was feisty.

Rose will be remembered as kind, caring, sweet, generous, loving, talkative, and wonderfully full of life. She had a way of making people feel seen and welcomed, and those who knew her will remember both her warmth and her strength. She carried herself with grace, enjoyed dressing up, loved shopping, and found joy in the simple and lasting pleasures of life.

She built a long career through years of faithful work, first with Southern Bell from 1968 to 1977, and then with GTE from 1977 until 1993. Outside of work, Rose filled her days with the things she loved most: gardening, fishing, traveling, going to church, and above all, watching over her grand babies. Her happiest memories were made in the company of those she loved—traveling to North Carolina, fishing with her sister Ruby, spending holidays with her family, spoiling her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, caring for her dogs, and tending to her garden. Her life was rooted in love, and that love was returned many times over.

Family was the center of Rose’s world. She is survived by her daughters, Sandy Snider and her husband Derek and Deborah Kerris and her companion Steve, and by her son, Andrew Sherrod. She also leaves behind a cherished circle of grandchildren: Deborah Smith and her husband Blake, Michelle Kerris, Lisa Kerris, Alayna Sherrod, Brian Snider, and Cory Burnette and his fiancé Ashley. Her legacy continues in her great-grandchildren, Destini Hendrix and her companion Nick, Quinn Sykes, and Corbin Smith and in her great-great-grandchildren Maverick Consentino, and Teagan McCallister. She took special delight in each generation of her family and found some of her greatest happiness in loving them, celebrating them, and simply being with them.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Smith; her father, Stan Bass; her mother, Hazel Batchelor; her sister, Ruby Wester; her brothers, Dick Bass and Tommy Bass; her granddaughter, Belinda Ridge; and her daughter-in-law, Beth Sherrod. Their memories remained close to her heart throughout her life.

A visitation will be held on October 23, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes - Southside Chapel, 1727 Bartow Road, Lakeland, Florida 33803. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the same location.

Rose Smith leaves behind a family shaped by her love, her laughter, her faith, and her generous heart. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered in holiday gatherings, in gardens tended with care, in stories told with a smile, and in the enduring bonds of family she treasured so dearly.