Francis Wright Smisson

Francis “Wright” Smisson, age 92, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Thursday, March 24, 2022. He was born on November 20, 1929, in Fort Valley, Georgia, the son of the late Emily Wright Smisson and Hugh Franklin Smisson, Sr. Wright heartily grew up among peaches and pecans, as well as a large extended family spread across Peach and Houston counties. Graced with an outgoing personality, he shared great times with his friends and classmates at Fort Valley High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and track, with a high school track state record in the outdoor mile to his name. After high school, Wright attended Middle Georgia College, where he met the love of his life, Louise Scarborough of Eastman, Georgia. They were happily married for over seventy years. Wright served in the United States Air Force and honorably retired after more than twenty years of service. During his time in the Air Force, he traveled the world, served at many duty stations, deployed several times, and spent a year in Vietnam during the war.

He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America Council, where he served as an Assistant Scout Master, as well as promoting and growing the Boy Scouts organization by identifying new regional troop opportunities. While stationed at Dress AFB in Abilene, Texas, he was named a Scout Master and started a new Boy Scouts Troop at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, which decades later is still thriving and serving both church and community. After his military retirement, Wright spent another 20 years working for the United States Postal Service in Macon, Georgia. After retiring from the Postal Service, he spent the remainder of his life with his loving family, who affectionately called him, “Pop.” He remained active as a long-time member of Shirley Hills Baptist Church, where he was a Children’s Sunday School teacher, Yoke Fellow and Usher. He was also a member of the Lions Club of Warner Robins. He enjoyed spending time with his many grandchildren and great grandchildren, gardening, volunteering, watching sports, and fishing at his sister’s pond. Wright had a warm personality and a big heart. His genial smile, laughter and colorful suspenders will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him. Wright was truly one-of-a-kind.

He was preceded in death by his much loved sons, David Wright Smisson and Joseph Drake Smisson; his beloved grandson, Forrester “Forrest'' Wright Mercier; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Emily Carolyn Smisson Duke (Leman) and Sandra Smisson Tolleson (Mell); his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Hugh F. Smisson, Jr. (LaWahna); sister-in-law, Joan Smisson; and brothers-in-law, Joseph W. Scarborough, Jr., Thomas J. Scarborough, Donald C. Scarborough, Melvin T. Scarborough, and Arthur Yawn.

Left to cherish the memories of Mr. Smisson are his wife, Emma “Louise” Scarborough Smisson of Bonaire, Georgia; his daughters, Lissa Smisson Worthey (Mark) of Chattanooga, TN, and Emily Smisson Mercier (Mark) of Kathleen, Georgia; his daughter-in-laws, Susan Toney Smisson of Lookout Mt., GA; grandchildren, Matthew Smisson (Bethany) of Lookout Mt., TN, Kate Worthey-Lurie (Dave) of Chattanooga, TN, Hope Smisson Woodruff (Zach) of Chattanooga, TN, Emily Claire Worthey Adcock (Jake) of Canton, Georgia; Hampton Worthey of Atlanta, GA, and Tucker Mercier of Notre Dame, IN; his great-grandchildren, Thomas Wright Adcock, Clayton Drake Smisson, John Patrick Adcock, Ella Katherine Smisson, Drake Ayres Woodruff, his brother, Dr. David Clayton Smisson of Orlando, FL; sister-in-law, Sherrell Scarborough Yawn of Warner Robins, GA, brothers-in-law, Marvin M. Scarborough and James M. Scarborough, both of Eastman, GA; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial gathering will be Friday, April 1, 2022, from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. The memorial service will immediately follow at 1:30 p.m. in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home. Afterward, Francis Wright Smisson will be laid to rest in Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fort Valley.

The family would like to express warmest thanks to the many caregivers in Warner Robins and especially NHC of Chattanooga, TN who lovingly aided Wright in his last few months.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests memorial donations be given in memory of Francis Wright Smisson to the Forrester “Forrest” Wright Mercier fund at Georgia Tech (the Georgia Institute of Technology) or to the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home.

Learn about the measures McCullough Funeral Home is taking to ensure the health and safety of our guests at mcculloughfh.com. There you can also sign an Online Registry for the family. McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.