Lennox A. Smith

Lennox Adeen Smith, affectionately called Patrick, was born on July 26, 1943 in St. Ann, Jamaica. He was the firstborn of the late Alice Richards, nee Henry. He was educated in the public school system and moved to the urban area of Kingston to live with his aunt, Dorothy, to continue his schooling. He got a job as a porter for the Royal Bank of Canada and transitioned to a driver at the data center, where he would carry supplies and staff to the various branches. He stayed with the bank until his retirement in 1986 and was well-known and liked by everyone. He would hold Bible Study and devotion in the mornings at the data center before the employees began work for the day.

While living in Kingston, he met Zerris Rose Nembhard and they married in 1968. The union produced four children: Lennox (Ricky), Milton (Paul), Yvonne (Joy) and Janice.

Lennox and Rose moved to the newly developed housing scheme in St. Catherine called Portmore and bought a house to raise their family. They attended a tent meeting and accepted Jesus as Savior. Lennox really loved the Lord and was never content with being a spectator in church. He was a faithful and dedicated servant of God who was not happy if he couldn’t work for the Lord.

He was always willing and ready to do the work of the Lord. He was a faithful member of the Portmore New Testament Church of God for many years. While there, he held many positions, including Sunday School teacher where he taught the young teenage boys’ class which the students never wanted to leave. He was also president of the FTH ministry and Men’s Fellowship.

The family migrated to the United States in 1986. While in Philadelphia, where they lived for over 30 years, Lennox became a deacon at the Woodbine Ave. New Testament Church, which later moved and became the Bryn Mawr New Testament Church of God. Deacon, as he was affectionately called, could be found at the building almost every day. Again, he found joy working at the church. If you knew him, you knew that he was never late. Often, he would arrive at least half an hour earlier than everyone else. You could not beat him there. He would open and stay until everyone else left and if you needed anything, he would be there with his bunch of keys to get it. Whenever any service was being held, he was always available to open the building, work in the sound room, perform janitorial duties, and moderate. As head deacon, he led floundering programs like FTH and men’s fellowship and they flourished under his leadership.

In 2009, the Smiths relocated from Philadelphia to Atlanta to be closer to their son, Paul, and his family. In Atlanta, they found a new church family and Deacon kept on working. He became a part of the Word of Life and later, Indian Creek Church of God where he continued moderating Sunday services, presiding over men’s fellowship, taking care of the building, teaching Sunday School, leading prayer meeting, and all the activities that he loved doing for the Lord.

After all the children got married, Deacon found a new love, his grandchildren, whom he was very proud of. Some of them even got endearing pet names that they will always remember, like “Dillie,” “Good Guy,” “Rice,” “Jesse-Fi-Go-A-College,” and “Mr. Nice Guy.” He was at every graduation from their preschool years, and even after distance placed much of the family in different states, he was at every high school and college graduation. To the five youngest grandsons left to graduate, know that he would have been there too and he will be with you in spirit when your turn comes to walk with pomp and circumstance to receive that accolade.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Rose, his children: Lennox and Andrea, Milton and Lorna, Yvonne and Marcus, Janice and Garfield; grandchildren: Xonnel, Andre (T), Lennox (Tre), Marvonne, Melani (Jodi), Christopher, Andrykah, Jada, Camille, Melodi (Jesse), Marcus II, Milton (PJ), Garfield, Giovanni, and Marrio; five sisters: Arlene (Chris) and her husband Earl, Louise, Yvonne, Lucille (Cynthia) and her husband Junior, and Patricia and her husband Donald; three brothers: Denton, Norman, and Michael; and a host of other relatives and friends.

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