Attorney Ferr Smith

Obituary

Retired District 27 of Mississippi Representative, former Leake County Supervisor and Attorney, Ferr Smith, age 82, went to his heavenly home in the evening hours of Sunday, November 5, 2023, at his home, with his loving daughter and family by his side.

Ferr was born on September 10, 1941, in Ofahoma, MS to the late Mr. Junior McKinley “J.M.” Smith and Mrs. Birdie Gee Smith of Ofahoma, Mississippi. 

Ferr attended and graduated from high school from the historically know, Piney Woods Country Life School. Ferr then furthered his education at his favorite college, Mississippi Valley State University. Those that knew him, knew of his true love and dedication towards his alma mater. Ferr later taught history for a few years and decided to go to law school. He received his Juris Doctorate at the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1973. Ferr opened his first law office, along with partner, Attorney Edward Blackmon in Canton, MS as “Blackmon-Smith Law Firm.” A few years later, Ferr Smith & Associates was also established in Canton, MS. He had a servant’s heart, so that’s when he made a leap of faith to run for office first as local Supervisor, and later ran for a State of Mississippi Office. He was later elected into the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Democrat and represented District 27 from 1994 to 2015. Attorney Smith’s outstanding career also included being an outstanding enlisted service man in the U.S. Army and farming, which he learned from his dad.

He served on the Agriculture, County Affairs, Fees and Salaries of Public Officers, Judiciary B, Judiciary EnBanc, Railway Development, Ways and Means and various other committees.  He participated in numerous organizations which included serving as the former president of the Mississippi Valley State National Alumni Association, East Madison Water Association, and Leake County Development, Inc. He was a member of the Leake County Chamber of Commerce, East Central Community Planning and Development District Inter-Alumni Council of Institutions of Higher Learning, Central Mississippi Legal Services, and Mississippi Bar Association. He served as Manager of the Ofahoma Braves Baseball team.

He was a dedicated member and deacon of Free Mission M.B. Church in Ofahoma where he accepted Christ at an early age.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley McFarland Smith, his parents J.M. Smith and Birdie Smith, son-in-law, Tamarkas Williams, brother-in-law, A.J. Peyton, and sisters, Merna Llorens, Susie Bell Luckett and Celeste Luckett.

 He is survived by his children: Anthony Smith, Yazoo City, Mississippi; Cassie (Don) Holt, Paris, Texas; Latasha (Demetrick “Shon”) Edwards, Waynesboro, Virginia; Ferri (Ferdie Geronimo) Smith, San Jose, California; and Rochelle Williams, Jackson, Mississippi; grandchildren: Justin Smith, Joshua Smith, Dana Figueroa, Sophia Irime, SyMarquis Williams, Jamar Williams, Gabriel Edwards, and Grace Edwards; two sisters: Myra Peyton, Yazoo City, Mississippi; Carrie (Clifford) Weddle, Brown Deer, Wisconsin; two brothers Terry Fox (Mary) Smith, Ofahoma, Mississippi and Gerald (Annie) Smith, Chicago, IL, and a very special dear friend, Dianne Bell.      

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Attorney Ferr Smith, please visit our floral store.