ROSEMARY BRUCE SMITH, 95, of New Braunfels,
TX and previously of Rockport & San Antonio, went
to be with the Lord on March 1, 2023.
Rosemary was born on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1927,
in a farming community outside Ranger, TX to the
late Lloyd and Daisy Bruce where she spent her
childhood climbing mulberry trees and eating
peaches from the peach orchards. She started
her long love of music & the violin with lessons
at the age of 5. She was blessed with amazing
teachers and directors like Joseph Kirstbaum,
Director of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra
and Wilda Dragoon.
After graduating from Ranger High School in the
Class of 1944, Rosemary went to North Texas State
Teachers College with a double major in voice and
strings and received her degree in Music Education
in 1948. She was president of the NTSC Chapter of
Sigma Alpha Iota national professional fraternity
for women in the field of music. After graduation
she accepted a position as symphony director in
Gladewater, TX where she met her love and future
husband Callie W. Smith who was director of the
band.
After their marriage in 1952, she taught strings
in San Antonio while her husband served in the
Army at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. After his discharge
they moved to Corpus Christi in 1954 where Rosemary
played for the Corpus Christi Symphony, worked as
an administrative secretary at Tuloso-Midway School
District and they began their family of two girls,
Kristi and Lisa. In 1960 the family moved to San
Antonio where Callie served as Assistant Superin-
tendent and then Superintendent of Harlandale ISD.
Rosemary started a successful strings program in
1970 assisted by Arlene Witte. After a 2yr move to
Longview, TX where Rosemary served in the choir
and a 5 year move to Austin, TX where Rosemary &
Callie helped start Riverbend Baptist church, they
returned to San Antonio where Callie served the
Baptist Hospital System.
During the years in San Antonio, Rosemary served her
churches Harlandale Baptist Church and First Baptist
Church SA with special music on her violin and solos,
taught Sunday School, and played with the SA Community
Symphony. She also acted as interim music director and
worked closely with music ministers Randy Edwards and
Stephen Carrell and a member of the Tuesday Music Club.
She loved to travel with her husband, family, friends
of the "Gut Club", & her sister Jean Bruce Thomas (RHS-
1938, decd), to the Holy Land, Europe, San Francisco,
Disney World in Orlando, and New Mexico.
Rosemary and Callie retired to their beloved Rockport,
TX in 2001 and Rosemary lost Callie in 2004. Rosemary
soon moved back to San Antonio and then New Braunfels
to be close to her family. The last 10 years Rosemary
lived in the Rio Terra Independent and Assisted Living
Facility in New Braunfels that she loved and called
"home". Rosemary served her Lord, her family & church
families with her love for music that never wavered as
well as her sense of humor and determination.
Rosemary is survived by her daughters, Kristi Tschoepe
and her husband Mike Tschoepe, Lisa Henderson and her
husband Dave, grandchildren Brian Henderson, Phillip
Henderson and his wife Laurie and Lauren Woodchick and
her husband Matthew and great-grandchildren Holly and
Merry Henderson, Callie and Scarlet Henderson, & Taylor,
Ella and Addison Woodchick.
HUSBAND: CALLIE W. SMITH, 72, of Rockport, TX
and previously San Antonio died on Jan. 26, 2004.
Callie was born June 7, 1931 in a farming community
outside of Sulphur Springs, TX to the late Roger &
Willie Smith. After graduating from East Texas in
1951 he began his career in education as Band Director
of the Gladewater Jr. High School Band. He then served
in the army during the Korean War in the 6th Armored
Division Band at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. In 1953, he
married Rosemary Bruce (RHS-1944) in Ranger, TX. After
his discharge in 1954 Callie was Principle then Assistant
Superintendent of Tuloso-Midway Corpus Christi where he
also completed his Masters in School Administration at
Texas A&I Kingsville. In 1962, Callie was Assistant
Superintendent of Harlandale ISD and then Superintendent
in 1968. In 1972, Callie & his family moved to Longview,
where he was Superintendent of Schools. He then served
as Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Texas State
Teachers Assoc. in Austin, Dec. 1974-79. Callie moved
back to San Antonio in 1979 to begin a career in Health
Care Administration as Dean of the Institute of Health
Education and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
of the Baptist Memorial Hospital System. In 1988 he was
made President & Chief Executive Officer of the Baptist
System until his retirement in 1995. Soon after his
retirement he became the Chairman of the April 1997
Billy Graham Crusade in San Antonio. While living in
San Antonio he was a member and deacon of Harlandale
Baptist Church and First Baptist Church, SA and was a
member and deacon at the First Baptist Church, Rockport.
Callie served his Lord, his family, his church and his
community.
Callie is survived by his wife of 51 years, Rosemary;
his daughters, Kristi Tschoepe and her husband, Mike,
Lisa Henderson and her husband, David; grandchildren,
Brian Henderson & his wife, Michelle, Phillip Henderson
and Lauren Adair; & great-grandchild, Holly Henderson.