Ada Shirley Smith of Southampton Dies August 12

Ada Shirley Smith of Southampton died on August 19. She was 97.

She was born in Southampton on August 19, 1927, the youngest daughter of Mable Bunn Dyson and Charles McFarland Dyson; the granddaughter of Ada M. Bunn and James Gilbert Bunn; the great-granddaughter of Caroline Cuffee Bunn and Russell Bunn (Russell Bunn was one of the men that perished in the wreck of the Circassian).

Her early years were spent in Shinnecock, and then her family moved to Brooklyn. She was educated at Public School 210, Franklin Lane High School and a short term at Brooklyn College.

On April 11, 1948, she married Elmer Francis Smith, also of the Shinnecock Nation. They resided in their Shinnecock home, bordering Heady Creek. They became the proud parents of Michael Francis Smith, Steven Dyson Smith, Peter Elmer Smith, and Joseph Raymond Smith. Her husband Elmer died on June 22, 1980. Her son Peter died on December 12, 2002 and son Steven died on January 16, 2005.

In August 1981, she retired from the New York Telephone Company after 30 years of employment. Not one to be inactive, she was employed as director of the Shinnecock Senior Nutrition Program, and ordained as Elder in the Shinnecock Presbyterian Church. She served as junior choir director with her sister, Bernice. She also served as Sunday School superintendent, Sunday School teacher, clerk of session, a member of the Human Needs Committee, and a member of the Church Choir.

She also volunteered at Southampton Hospital.

Her last place of employment was at the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum.

She loved her family, church and community. She loved to travel, visiting areas across the United States, from Washington, D.C., to New Mexico, Arizona, California and several states between. Her travels took her to Canada, the Virgin Islands, England, Scotland and Australia. She often quoted her version of a popular saying: “I’ve traveled east, I’ve traveled west, but my Shinnecock home is still the best!”

She is survived by two sons, Michael and Joseph; four daughters-in-law, Ana, Diane, Lisa and Karen; 16 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; her goddaughter Denise Anderson in Australia; and a host of relatives and friends.