Mrs. Rosa Lee Smith

On Saturday, September 8, 2018, at Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Lumberton, NC; Rosa Lee Leige-Smith surrounded by her loving family completed her journey on this earth.

Rosa Lee attended Robeson County Schools while growing up in Lumberton. She worked assisting her father until his death delivering produce to the community for his General Store. She was an excellent culinarian, an avid gardener, fisherwoman and seamstress. She loved to crochet, a craft she learned from her daughter Katherine. She turned this craft into a small business, “Rosa’s Crocheted Hats”. She sold her hats from her booth at The Robeson County Fair.

A devoted member of Sandy Grove Baptist Church, Rosa Lee gave her life to Christ at an early age.  She worked as a food service professional at various Lumberton Restaurants. She also worked as a seamstress at Kayser-Roth, Temptation and Gerber Childrenswear. She was truly loved and adored all her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Will Sanders and Vivian Powell-Sanders; two brothers, Willie “Big Will” Sanders and Thomas Sanders; three sisters, Vashti Sanders, Mary Ann Bowden and Vivian Lee “Pig” Jones all of Lumberton; one brother-in-law, Sherfield Smith of Queens, NY; one daughter, Ethel Rose Sanders-Wright of Chicago, IL, and; one son, Lee Floyd Leige of Lumberton.

Rosa Lee leaves to cherish her memories: a loving husband, Delano Smith of the home; two daughters, Katherine Wooten and Missouri Ann Felton, both of Lumberton; three sons, Ottis Dale Leige of New Orleans, LA, Aaron Scott Leige of the home and Charles Lemont Leige of Brooklyn, NY; three nieces and a nephew that she loved like her own children, Wanda Hough of Elizabethtown, Lauraceena Sanders of Parkton, and Mary Charlene Kelly and Lee Andrew Bowden, Jr. both of Fayetteville; two sisters, Ernestine Hilliard of Fayetteville and Roberta Sinclair (Tom) of Baltimore, MD; three sisters-in-law, Esteen Williams (the late Fred) of Newburgh, NY, Alice Faye Evans (William) and Lasenia Barnes (Terry) both of Lumberton; two brothers-in-law, Lacey Smith (the late Barbara) and Norman Smith (Terry) both of Charlotte; one aunt, Vermell S. McCray (the late Aaron) of Cross, SC; fourteen grandchildren, Gregory Wright and Kawana Jenkins both of Chicago, IL; Victoria Jones-McSwain of Fayetteville and Nicholas Jones of Lumberton; Marcus Tony Jones and Nicole Williams both of Lumberton, Jocelin and Veronica Leige of Charlotte and Ottis Dale Leige, Jr. of New Orleans, LA; Rosa Lee Chargois of Ft. Drum, NY and Brittany McKay of Lumberton; Miles Saulters of Lumberton, and Christopher and Tammara Abernathy of Frederick, MD; two special grandchildren of her late sister Mary Ann, Marvin “Lil’ Rick” Kelly, Jr. and Brianna Kelly of Fayetteville; twenty-two great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and close friends.

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