Shirley Smith Littlejohn

Asheville ~ Shirley Smith Littlejohn of 6 Fairway Place, Asheville, NC died Thursday, October 24th, after a period of declining health. She was married for 50 years to Dr. James T. Littlejohn, who died in May of 1999. Shirley was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on October 22, 1924, to the late John Henry and Florence Walsh Smith, who were originally from England. When she was 3 months, the family moved to the Swannanoa Valley with the relocation of Beacon Manufacturing where her father was employed. The Smith family contributed much to the growth of Swannanoa, co-founding the Bank of Swannanoa, now Bank of America, supporting The Farm School - now Warren Wilson College - and giving the property on which St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church was built in Grovemont. The family moved to Asheville in 1936. After graduating from Lee Edwards High School in 1942, she entered Duke University, where she joined Sigma Kappa Sorority. As a sophomore, she was recruited by the Office of Strategic Services, now the CIA, to work in Washington, DC. Her work as a cartographer and translator of French documents aided the military in the preparation of the orders of battle. Following WWII, she moved to Charlotte, NC, where she worked for Paramount Pictures. In 1948, she married Dr. Littlejohn. The couple moved from Charlotte to Boston and then to Chicago. There she worked for Harvey and Howe, a public relations and marketing firm, which ran the test kitchens for clients such as Betty Crocker and Julia Child. In 1951 the couple returned to Asheville, where Dr. Littlejohn began his practice in internal medicine. She volunteered with Thoms and Memorial Mission Hospitals. She was a past member of the Buncombe County Medical Auxiliary, former Girl Scout leader, past president of the Women’s Civic Club, past board member of the Mission St. Joseph’s Foundation and a member of the Biltmore Forest Country Club. She was a lifetime member of All Souls Cathedral, which she served for 30 years as a member of the Altar Guild and later as a docent. Her brothers, Milton Graham Smith and Howard Lincoln Smith, predeceased her. She is survived by her loving daughters and their families Mr. and Mrs. R. Bruce Rogers of Asheville, Mr. and Mrs. Philip R. Gennett of Fairview and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Waggoner, IV of Asheville. Also surviving are her grandchildren, whom she adored, Elizabeth and Patricia Rogers, Sarah and Philip Gennett, and Jamie Waggoner; a niece, Kathryne Smith Alonso of Asheville, sister-in-law, Kathryne Craig Smith of Titusville, FL, and brother-in-law and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elbert Littlejohn of Atlanta, GA. The funeral service will be held Saturday at 11:00 AM at All Souls Cathedral with interment at Calvary Episcopal Churchyard. The family will receive friends Friday from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian on Long Shoals Road. Memorials may be made to The Eblen Foundation, 304 Summit St., Asheville, NC 28803, The United Way or the charity of one’s choice.