Profile of Giving: The Legacy of Josephine Smith

March 2009

Josephine Smith, 60, of Little Rock passed away on Dec. 9, 2007. In November 2008, The Nature Conservancy received a bequest of $100,000 from Josephine’s estate to support conservation work in Arkansas.

Josephine Smith (left) at the
Strawberry River Preserve with Gay White.
Photo by Susan Borné

Josephine “Josie” Smith enjoyed sharing her love of traveling and the outdoors with her friends and colleagues. Her legacy will be long remembered and will have a great impact on the lives of Arkansans for generations to come.

Josie grew up in Arkansas but spent summers at her family’s second home at Cape Porpoise, Maine. From 1971 through 1983, she lived year-round at Cape Porpoise while she worked at the Breakwater Inn. When in Maine, Josie spent time walking on Goose Rocks Beach, hiking at Acadia National Park, ocean kayaking and enjoying lobster bakes with close friends.

“Josie had an innate love of and appreciation for God’s creation,” said Gay White, the former first lady of Arkansas and a member of the Conservancy’s board of trustees. “We enjoyed many hours marveling at the diversity of that creation right here in our beloved state of Arkansas. I never saw Josie more at peace than when we were canoeing on the beautiful Buffalo River or tromping through the woods in the Ozark National Forrest. It was Josie’s desire to protect and preserve this beauty and diversity for the generations to follow.”

In 1984, Josie moved back to Arkansas, where she worked at Little Rock’s James F. Goodwin Travel until her retirement in 2000. Josie had been a member of the Conservancy since 1998, and she participated in several field trips.

In recalling a February 2005 field trip with Josie and Gay White to the Strawberry River Preserve, Susan Borné, the Conservancy’s associate director of philanthropy and lifelong friend of the Smiths, said, “despite the cold, it was a fabulous day. Josie had a keen interest in the natural world, and her enthusiasm, energy and sense of humor were evident as we learned about the Conservancy’s work to address water quality and protect aquatic species at the Strawberry River. Her gift to the Conservancy is a legacy of love for the natural world.”

Josie was the only child of the late Stephen Harrow Smith and his wife Kathryn “K.C.” Smith of Little Rock. Her parents also belong to the Legacy Club, a group of supporters who have made a life income gift or have included the Conservancy in their estate plans. During their more than 20 years as Conservancy members, Harrow and K.C.’s steadfast support has included a gift that helped purchase Lorance Creek Preserve and Natural Area near Little Rock.

“Josie, like her parents, had a deep love for natural places,” said Scott Simon, the director of the Conservancy in Arkansas. “We are honored to use her gift to help conserve the places she so cherished in Arkansas.”

*****