Betsy Harrison Smith

Betsy Harrison Smith passed away at the age of 90 on June 2, 2025. She is survived by her husband, Ike M. Smith lll; daughter Deborah Smith Corkish (husband Paul) of Seabrook Island,SC; granddaughter Morgan Elizabeth Imhoff (husband John) and great-granddaughter Tinsley of Atlanta, Georgia; daughter Lauren E. Smith-Nagel of Greenville and Seabrook Island, South Carolina; and brother Dr. John B. Harrison of Huntsville, Alabama. Betsy was the daughter of Dr. Tinsley R. Harrison and Mrs. Elizabeth Woodward Harrison of Birmingham, Alabama.

Betsy was born on July 17, 1934 in Nashville, Tennessee. Growing up she also lived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; and Birmingham, Alabama as a consequence of her father’s career in academia. Dr. Harrison was an eminent cardiologist, editor of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, and was instrumental in the establishment and growth of medical schools in Winston-Salem, Dallas and Birmingham.

Betsy and Ike met while students at Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and sweetheart of Sigma Chi, Ike’s fraternity. They married on August 13, 1955 at her family home in Birmingham.

Ike’s long career with DuPont took the family to a number of locales including an expat assignment in Germany. While living in Wilmington, Delaware, Betsy started an illustrious career in real estate and was one of her firm’s top agents.

In 1990, Betsy retired to Seabrook Island with her husband and became active in community affairs serving as a member of the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association Board for a number of years. She was also a volunteer docent at the South Carolina Aquarium. Betsy and Ike later moved to Bishop Gadsden, a retirement community in the Charleston area.

Betsy loved her family and friends, travel and was an avid bridge player.