Daisy Lancaster Jones Smith passed away peacefully in her home on March 20, 2020, at the age of 95. She was born to George Lancaster and Omelia Strong August 26, 1924, in E. St. Louis, IL. She was the youngest of 4 children and was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings James, Sallie and Charles.
Daisy married Arthur Henry Jones and three children were born to their union: Caryn, Donna and Arthur, Jr. Widowed at a young age with 3 small children, Daisy worked as a housekeeper and a cafeteria worker to support her family. The family spent their early years living in the Port Lawrence Homes. During this time, she became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She later became affiliated with Rose of Sharon Holiness Church of God.
Her ambition and interest in health were the driving forces that led her from housekeeping to pursue a nursing career. She began her educational journey as a student in the first practical nursing program offered in Toledo. She went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Daisy worked as an LPN at Riverside Hospital, while attending classes to become a Registered Nurse. Daisy graduated with honors and as "Best All Around Nurse" from Maumee Valley Hospital (now University of Toledo) in 1963 as a Registered Nurse. She continued her RN career at Riverside until 1969. From 1969 to 1975, she worked concurrently as Assistant Clinical Manager at Mercy Hospital and Manager at Parkview Hospital. She also organized and managed the Batavia Developmental Center in Batavia, Ohio.
In 1996, she received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toledo. Her pursuit of learning never stopped. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she continued studies toward a master's degree. Daisy's health activism resulted in community outreach that assisted African Americans with greater access to health care and preventative health education. She was a staunch supporter of the Cordelia Martin Health Center from its beginning. In 1975, Daisy organized the Cordelia Martin Health Center Auxiliary to coordinate volunteer support and raise funds. She later served as the center's Coordinator of Health Education.
In 1981, Daisy joined forces with fellow nurses Mary Gregory and Donna Todd to found the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. The organization played a pivotal role in mentoring and increasing the number of Black nurses in the area. She rightly saw this as crucial to increasing the distribution of health resources to African American and other underserved communities. The Council provided scholarships to nursing students and partnered with medical institutions and civic organizations to carry out preventative health education programming for over 3 decades.
Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, Daisy was involved in research and local and state commissions on minority health. To redress the dearth of scholarly publications on minority health disparities, Daisy worked with Dr. James Price of the University of Toledo on studies published in The Journal of the National Medical Association, Journal of School Health and The Journal of Community Health. These publications covered a range of topics including physical fitness, prostate cancer, blood vessel diseases, weight among adolescents and women's perceptions of breast cancer and mammography. She ultimately co-authored 10 publications with Dr. Price and other members of his team. This work was also associated with grant-funded, programs for 16-19 year-old African American youth In Toledo Public Schools and the Child Study Institute.
Daisy continued to play a pivotal role in preventative health education and diversifying the field of nursing. Most notably, in 2010, she was instrumental in Lourdes University (then Lourdes College) receiving a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services.
Daisy has received numerous accolades for her tireless work as a health educator and activist. In 1998, a portion of The Cordelia Martin Center on Nebraska Ave. was named the Daisy Smith Clinic. After the Center moved to its larger permanent location, space dedicated to children's healthcare was named Daisy Smith Pediatrics. She received a Legacy Award along with Mary Gregory and Donna Todd in 2008 and was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.
Her passion for getting African Americans to vote and be a part of political process was equally strong. She was often involved in campaigns for local office and volunteered at local headquarters for gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. In fact, she was among those who successfully pushed to have the first political campaign established in Toledo's inner city.
Daisy's community activities also included the Jewel Chapter Order of the Eastern Stars, Black Women's Democratic Caucus, Daughter of Isis Masonic Fraternal Order, Coalition of Voter Registration and Education, as well as the Legislative Committee of the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Daisy's youthful exuberance often led people to assume that she was younger than her actual age. She often stated her age as "39 and holding," codified in a pendant she wore with just that phrase, gifted to her by her granddaughter-in-law.
Daisy leaves to mourn children Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins of Toledo, OH, and Arthur H. Jones, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great=grandchildren; life-long friends Arlena Childs, Doris Greer, Doni Miller and Donna Todd – and a host of relatives and friends. In her honor, all are encouraged to donate to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Community Health Center.
Published in The Blade from Apr. 19 to Apr. 21, 2020.
(News story) Daisy Smith, a nurse honored for her work to help make health care, education about health, and a place in her profession available to all, died March 20 in her South Toledo home. She was 95. She died in her sleep, her daughter Caryn Jones Flournoy said. A stroke in August "affected her strength, but not her mind."
Ms. Smith with Donna Todd and Mary Gregory in 2010 received Impact Newsmaker Awards from the Northwest Ohio Black Media Association. The trio in 1981 co-founded the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. Ms. Smith in 2009 was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, for that achievement, for providing and for advocating access to health care, and for educating others about health risks and healthy living. The news surprised her. "I really don't know for what," Ms. Smith told The Blade then. "I think a lot of people do things for other people. I don't feel like I was doing more than any of the other people who give their time."
Doris Greer, a community advocate and a friend, recalled that Ms. Smith readily collaborated with others concerned about health and community - and was thorough in working toward goals. "That was part of her personality and character - concern for accessibility and equality," Ms. Greer said. "She was a nurse and broke many barriers in the city in that position. "She listened to all people. She worked cross culturally. She was constantly working to see that other people had it better and have accessibility to those things she knew were available," Ms. Greer said. Ms. Smith also volunteered at Neighborhood Health Association and its Cordelia Martin Health Center for to provide care - take vitals, listen to people with concerns, offer guidance and information.
"Daisy was one of the first black registered nurses in Toledo," said Doni Miller, chief executive of Neighborhood Health Association. "She was committed to the care of people who were underserved. And she was committed to offering "that compassion and that need to care for others to a setting where they could get the care they needed," Ms. Miller said. Ms. Smith had been a member of the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Minority Health and worked with a University of Toledo professor to investigate health disparities in minority communities. She was was among seven black Toledoans honored in 2008 for their medical contributions by the African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio.
Ms. Smith was a young widowed mother of three when she enrolled to become a licensed practical nurse. Domestic and restaurant work supported the family and helped pay for her schooling. She told The Blade in 1998 that Toledo teachers volunteered to tutor her. She did her homework in the evening while her children were doing theirs. And she averaged three hours of sleep a night. "It was not easy for an African-American woman to enter the profession in those days," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 1998. She worked at Riverside Hospital and, in order become a registered nurse, continued her education at the former Maumee Valley Hospital. She said in 2009 that she could not have pursued her career without neighbors who looked after her children while she worked and studied, or without teachers who helped her get accepted to registered nurse studies. "Toledo has really been very kind to me, and I really feel that I owe the town something," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 2009.
As a registered nurse, Ms. Smith had clinical manager roles at Mercy Hospital and at Parkview Hospital. She was a former manager of the state developmental center in Batavia, Ohio. She later received a bachelor's degree from UT and continued with graduate studies. "She was very motivated, very self directed," her daughter said. "She was the type of person who wanted to do better for herself and wanted to make life better for other people."
She was born Aug. 26, 1924, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Omelia and George Lancaster. Family members were in Toledo. She and her first husband, Arthur Jones, followed, "to improve their life style," their daughter said. He died in 1948 at age 25. Surviving are her daughters Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins; son, Arthur H. Jones, Jr.; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services were private. Arrangements were by House of Day Funeral Service. The family suggests tributes to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Health Center.
This is a news story by Mark Zaborney. Contact him at [email protected] or 419-724-6182.
Published in The Blade on Apr. 19,
Daisy married Arthur Henry Jones and three children were born to their union: Caryn, Donna and Arthur, Jr. Widowed at a young age with 3 small children, Daisy worked as a housekeeper and a cafeteria worker to support her family. The family spent their early years living in the Port Lawrence Homes. During this time, she became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She later became affiliated with Rose of Sharon Holiness Church of God.
Her ambition and interest in health were the driving forces that led her from housekeeping to pursue a nursing career. She began her educational journey as a student in the first practical nursing program offered in Toledo. She went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Daisy worked as an LPN at Riverside Hospital, while attending classes to become a Registered Nurse. Daisy graduated with honors and as "Best All Around Nurse" from Maumee Valley Hospital (now University of Toledo) in 1963 as a Registered Nurse. She continued her RN career at Riverside until 1969. From 1969 to 1975, she worked concurrently as Assistant Clinical Manager at Mercy Hospital and Manager at Parkview Hospital. She also organized and managed the Batavia Developmental Center in Batavia, Ohio.
In 1996, she received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toledo. Her pursuit of learning never stopped. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she continued studies toward a master's degree. Daisy's health activism resulted in community outreach that assisted African Americans with greater access to health care and preventative health education. She was a staunch supporter of the Cordelia Martin Health Center from its beginning. In 1975, Daisy organized the Cordelia Martin Health Center Auxiliary to coordinate volunteer support and raise funds. She later served as the center's Coordinator of Health Education.
In 1981, Daisy joined forces with fellow nurses Mary Gregory and Donna Todd to found the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. The organization played a pivotal role in mentoring and increasing the number of Black nurses in the area. She rightly saw this as crucial to increasing the distribution of health resources to African American and other underserved communities. The Council provided scholarships to nursing students and partnered with medical institutions and civic organizations to carry out preventative health education programming for over 3 decades.
Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, Daisy was involved in research and local and state commissions on minority health. To redress the dearth of scholarly publications on minority health disparities, Daisy worked with Dr. James Price of the University of Toledo on studies published in The Journal of the National Medical Association, Journal of School Health and The Journal of Community Health. These publications covered a range of topics including physical fitness, prostate cancer, blood vessel diseases, weight among adolescents and women's perceptions of breast cancer and mammography. She ultimately co-authored 10 publications with Dr. Price and other members of his team. This work was also associated with grant-funded, programs for 16-19 year-old African American youth In Toledo Public Schools and the Child Study Institute.
Daisy continued to play a pivotal role in preventative health education and diversifying the field of nursing. Most notably, in 2010, she was instrumental in Lourdes University (then Lourdes College) receiving a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services.
Daisy has received numerous accolades for her tireless work as a health educator and activist. In 1998, a portion of The Cordelia Martin Center on Nebraska Ave. was named the Daisy Smith Clinic. After the Center moved to its larger permanent location, space dedicated to children's healthcare was named Daisy Smith Pediatrics. She received a Legacy Award along with Mary Gregory and Donna Todd in 2008 and was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.
Her passion for getting African Americans to vote and be a part of political process was equally strong. She was often involved in campaigns for local office and volunteered at local headquarters for gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. In fact, she was among those who successfully pushed to have the first political campaign established in Toledo's inner city.
Daisy's community activities also included the Jewel Chapter Order of the Eastern Stars, Black Women's Democratic Caucus, Daughter of Isis Masonic Fraternal Order, Coalition of Voter Registration and Education, as well as the Legislative Committee of the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Daisy's youthful exuberance often led people to assume that she was younger than her actual age. She often stated her age as "39 and holding," codified in a pendant she wore with just that phrase, gifted to her by her granddaughter-in-law.
Daisy leaves to mourn children Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins of Toledo, OH, and Arthur H. Jones, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great=grandchildren; life-long friends Arlena Childs, Doris Greer, Doni Miller and Donna Todd – and a host of relatives and friends. In her honor, all are encouraged to donate to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Community Health Center.
Published in The Blade from Apr. 19 to Apr. 21, 2020.
(News story) Daisy Smith, a nurse honored for her work to help make health care, education about health, and a place in her profession available to all, died March 20 in her South Toledo home. She was 95. She died in her sleep, her daughter Caryn Jones Flournoy said. A stroke in August "affected her strength, but not her mind."
Ms. Smith with Donna Todd and Mary Gregory in 2010 received Impact Newsmaker Awards from the Northwest Ohio Black Media Association. The trio in 1981 co-founded the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. Ms. Smith in 2009 was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, for that achievement, for providing and for advocating access to health care, and for educating others about health risks and healthy living. The news surprised her. "I really don't know for what," Ms. Smith told The Blade then. "I think a lot of people do things for other people. I don't feel like I was doing more than any of the other people who give their time."
Doris Greer, a community advocate and a friend, recalled that Ms. Smith readily collaborated with others concerned about health and community - and was thorough in working toward goals. "That was part of her personality and character - concern for accessibility and equality," Ms. Greer said. "She was a nurse and broke many barriers in the city in that position. "She listened to all people. She worked cross culturally. She was constantly working to see that other people had it better and have accessibility to those things she knew were available," Ms. Greer said. Ms. Smith also volunteered at Neighborhood Health Association and its Cordelia Martin Health Center for to provide care - take vitals, listen to people with concerns, offer guidance and information.
"Daisy was one of the first black registered nurses in Toledo," said Doni Miller, chief executive of Neighborhood Health Association. "She was committed to the care of people who were underserved. And she was committed to offering "that compassion and that need to care for others to a setting where they could get the care they needed," Ms. Miller said. Ms. Smith had been a member of the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Minority Health and worked with a University of Toledo professor to investigate health disparities in minority communities. She was was among seven black Toledoans honored in 2008 for their medical contributions by the African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio.
Ms. Smith was a young widowed mother of three when she enrolled to become a licensed practical nurse. Domestic and restaurant work supported the family and helped pay for her schooling. She told The Blade in 1998 that Toledo teachers volunteered to tutor her. She did her homework in the evening while her children were doing theirs. And she averaged three hours of sleep a night. "It was not easy for an African-American woman to enter the profession in those days," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 1998. She worked at Riverside Hospital and, in order become a registered nurse, continued her education at the former Maumee Valley Hospital. She said in 2009 that she could not have pursued her career without neighbors who looked after her children while she worked and studied, or without teachers who helped her get accepted to registered nurse studies. "Toledo has really been very kind to me, and I really feel that I owe the town something," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 2009.
As a registered nurse, Ms. Smith had clinical manager roles at Mercy Hospital and at Parkview Hospital. She was a former manager of the state developmental center in Batavia, Ohio. She later received a bachelor's degree from UT and continued with graduate studies. "She was very motivated, very self directed," her daughter said. "She was the type of person who wanted to do better for herself and wanted to make life better for other people."
She was born Aug. 26, 1924, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Omelia and George Lancaster. Family members were in Toledo. She and her first husband, Arthur Jones, followed, "to improve their life style," their daughter said. He died in 1948 at age 25. Surviving are her daughters Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins; son, Arthur H. Jones, Jr.; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services were private. Arrangements were by House of Day Funeral Service. The family suggests tributes to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Health Center.
This is a news story by Mark Zaborney. Contact him at [email protected] or 419-724-6182.
Published in The Blade on Apr. 19,
Daisy Lancaster Jones Smith passed away peacefully in her home on March 20, 2020, at the age of 95. She was born to George Lancaster and Omelia Strong August 26, 1924, in E. St. Louis, IL. She was the youngest of 4 children and was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings James, Sallie and Charles.
Daisy married Arthur Henry Jones and three children were born to their union: Caryn, Donna and Arthur, Jr. Widowed at a young age with 3 small children, Daisy worked as a housekeeper and a cafeteria worker to support her family. The family spent their early years living in the Port Lawrence Homes. During this time, she became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She later became affiliated with Rose of Sharon Holiness Church of God.
Her ambition and interest in health were the driving forces that led her from housekeeping to pursue a nursing career. She began her educational journey as a student in the first practical nursing program offered in Toledo. She went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Daisy worked as an LPN at Riverside Hospital, while attending classes to become a Registered Nurse. Daisy graduated with honors and as "Best All Around Nurse" from Maumee Valley Hospital (now University of Toledo) in 1963 as a Registered Nurse. She continued her RN career at Riverside until 1969. From 1969 to 1975, she worked concurrently as Assistant Clinical Manager at Mercy Hospital and Manager at Parkview Hospital. She also organized and managed the Batavia Developmental Center in Batavia, Ohio.
In 1996, she received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toledo. Her pursuit of learning never stopped. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she continued studies toward a master's degree. Daisy's health activism resulted in community outreach that assisted African Americans with greater access to health care and preventative health education. She was a staunch supporter of the Cordelia Martin Health Center from its beginning. In 1975, Daisy organized the Cordelia Martin Health Center Auxiliary to coordinate volunteer support and raise funds. She later served as the center's Coordinator of Health Education.
In 1981, Daisy joined forces with fellow nurses Mary Gregory and Donna Todd to found the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. The organization played a pivotal role in mentoring and increasing the number of Black nurses in the area. She rightly saw this as crucial to increasing the distribution of health resources to African American and other underserved communities. The Council provided scholarships to nursing students and partnered with medical institutions and civic organizations to carry out preventative health education programming for over 3 decades.
Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, Daisy was involved in research and local and state commissions on minority health. To redress the dearth of scholarly publications on minority health disparities, Daisy worked with Dr. James Price of the University of Toledo on studies published in The Journal of the National Medical Association, Journal of School Health and The Journal of Community Health. These publications covered a range of topics including physical fitness, prostate cancer, blood vessel diseases, weight among adolescents and women's perceptions of breast cancer and mammography. She ultimately co-authored 10 publications with Dr. Price and other members of his team. This work was also associated with grant-funded, programs for 16-19 year-old African American youth In Toledo Public Schools and the Child Study Institute.
Daisy continued to play a pivotal role in preventative health education and diversifying the field of nursing. Most notably, in 2010, she was instrumental in Lourdes University (then Lourdes College) receiving a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services.
Daisy has received numerous accolades for her tireless work as a health educator and activist. In 1998, a portion of The Cordelia Martin Center on Nebraska Ave. was named the Daisy Smith Clinic. After the Center moved to its larger permanent location, space dedicated to children's healthcare was named Daisy Smith Pediatrics. She received a Legacy Award along with Mary Gregory and Donna Todd in 2008 and was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.
Her passion for getting African Americans to vote and be a part of political process was equally strong. She was often involved in campaigns for local office and volunteered at local headquarters for gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. In fact, she was among those who successfully pushed to have the first political campaign established in Toledo's inner city.
Daisy's community activities also included the Jewel Chapter Order of the Eastern Stars, Black Women's Democratic Caucus, Daughter of Isis Masonic Fraternal Order, Coalition of Voter Registration and Education, as well as the Legislative Committee of the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Daisy's youthful exuberance often led people to assume that she was younger than her actual age. She often stated her age as "39 and holding," codified in a pendant she wore with just that phrase, gifted to her by her granddaughter-in-law.
Daisy leaves to mourn children Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins of Toledo, OH, and Arthur H. Jones, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great=grandchildren; life-long friends Arlena Childs, Doris Greer, Doni Miller and Donna Todd – and a host of relatives and friends. In her honor, all are encouraged to donate to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Community Health Center.
Published in The Blade from Apr. 19 to Apr. 21, 2020.
(News story) Daisy Smith, a nurse honored for her work to help make health care, education about health, and a place in her profession available to all, died March 20 in her South Toledo home. She was 95. She died in her sleep, her daughter Caryn Jones Flournoy said. A stroke in August "affected her strength, but not her mind."
Ms. Smith with Donna Todd and Mary Gregory in 2010 received Impact Newsmaker Awards from the Northwest Ohio Black Media Association. The trio in 1981 co-founded the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. Ms. Smith in 2009 was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, for that achievement, for providing and for advocating access to health care, and for educating others about health risks and healthy living. The news surprised her. "I really don't know for what," Ms. Smith told The Blade then. "I think a lot of people do things for other people. I don't feel like I was doing more than any of the other people who give their time."
Doris Greer, a community advocate and a friend, recalled that Ms. Smith readily collaborated with others concerned about health and community - and was thorough in working toward goals. "That was part of her personality and character - concern for accessibility and equality," Ms. Greer said. "She was a nurse and broke many barriers in the city in that position. "She listened to all people. She worked cross culturally. She was constantly working to see that other people had it better and have accessibility to those things she knew were available," Ms. Greer said. Ms. Smith also volunteered at Neighborhood Health Association and its Cordelia Martin Health Center for to provide care - take vitals, listen to people with concerns, offer guidance and information.
"Daisy was one of the first black registered nurses in Toledo," said Doni Miller, chief executive of Neighborhood Health Association. "She was committed to the care of people who were underserved. And she was committed to offering "that compassion and that need to care for others to a setting where they could get the care they needed," Ms. Miller said. Ms. Smith had been a member of the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Minority Health and worked with a University of Toledo professor to investigate health disparities in minority communities. She was was among seven black Toledoans honored in 2008 for their medical contributions by the African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio.
Ms. Smith was a young widowed mother of three when she enrolled to become a licensed practical nurse. Domestic and restaurant work supported the family and helped pay for her schooling. She told The Blade in 1998 that Toledo teachers volunteered to tutor her. She did her homework in the evening while her children were doing theirs. And she averaged three hours of sleep a night. "It was not easy for an African-American woman to enter the profession in those days," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 1998. She worked at Riverside Hospital and, in order become a registered nurse, continued her education at the former Maumee Valley Hospital. She said in 2009 that she could not have pursued her career without neighbors who looked after her children while she worked and studied, or without teachers who helped her get accepted to registered nurse studies. "Toledo has really been very kind to me, and I really feel that I owe the town something," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 2009.
As a registered nurse, Ms. Smith had clinical manager roles at Mercy Hospital and at Parkview Hospital. She was a former manager of the state developmental center in Batavia, Ohio. She later received a bachelor's degree from UT and continued with graduate studies. "She was very motivated, very self directed," her daughter said. "She was the type of person who wanted to do better for herself and wanted to make life better for other people."
She was born Aug. 26, 1924, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Omelia and George Lancaster. Family members were in Toledo. She and her first husband, Arthur Jones, followed, "to improve their life style," their daughter said. He died in 1948 at age 25. Surviving are her daughters Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins; son, Arthur H. Jones, Jr.; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services were private. Arrangements were by House of Day Funeral Service. The family suggests tributes to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Health Center.
This is a news story by Mark Zaborney. Contact him at [email protected] or 419-724-6182.
Published in The Blade on Apr. 19,
Daisy married Arthur Henry Jones and three children were born to their union: Caryn, Donna and Arthur, Jr. Widowed at a young age with 3 small children, Daisy worked as a housekeeper and a cafeteria worker to support her family. The family spent their early years living in the Port Lawrence Homes. During this time, she became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She later became affiliated with Rose of Sharon Holiness Church of God.
Her ambition and interest in health were the driving forces that led her from housekeeping to pursue a nursing career. She began her educational journey as a student in the first practical nursing program offered in Toledo. She went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Daisy worked as an LPN at Riverside Hospital, while attending classes to become a Registered Nurse. Daisy graduated with honors and as "Best All Around Nurse" from Maumee Valley Hospital (now University of Toledo) in 1963 as a Registered Nurse. She continued her RN career at Riverside until 1969. From 1969 to 1975, she worked concurrently as Assistant Clinical Manager at Mercy Hospital and Manager at Parkview Hospital. She also organized and managed the Batavia Developmental Center in Batavia, Ohio.
In 1996, she received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toledo. Her pursuit of learning never stopped. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she continued studies toward a master's degree. Daisy's health activism resulted in community outreach that assisted African Americans with greater access to health care and preventative health education. She was a staunch supporter of the Cordelia Martin Health Center from its beginning. In 1975, Daisy organized the Cordelia Martin Health Center Auxiliary to coordinate volunteer support and raise funds. She later served as the center's Coordinator of Health Education.
In 1981, Daisy joined forces with fellow nurses Mary Gregory and Donna Todd to found the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. The organization played a pivotal role in mentoring and increasing the number of Black nurses in the area. She rightly saw this as crucial to increasing the distribution of health resources to African American and other underserved communities. The Council provided scholarships to nursing students and partnered with medical institutions and civic organizations to carry out preventative health education programming for over 3 decades.
Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, Daisy was involved in research and local and state commissions on minority health. To redress the dearth of scholarly publications on minority health disparities, Daisy worked with Dr. James Price of the University of Toledo on studies published in The Journal of the National Medical Association, Journal of School Health and The Journal of Community Health. These publications covered a range of topics including physical fitness, prostate cancer, blood vessel diseases, weight among adolescents and women's perceptions of breast cancer and mammography. She ultimately co-authored 10 publications with Dr. Price and other members of his team. This work was also associated with grant-funded, programs for 16-19 year-old African American youth In Toledo Public Schools and the Child Study Institute.
Daisy continued to play a pivotal role in preventative health education and diversifying the field of nursing. Most notably, in 2010, she was instrumental in Lourdes University (then Lourdes College) receiving a Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services.
Daisy has received numerous accolades for her tireless work as a health educator and activist. In 1998, a portion of The Cordelia Martin Center on Nebraska Ave. was named the Daisy Smith Clinic. After the Center moved to its larger permanent location, space dedicated to children's healthcare was named Daisy Smith Pediatrics. She received a Legacy Award along with Mary Gregory and Donna Todd in 2008 and was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2009.
Her passion for getting African Americans to vote and be a part of political process was equally strong. She was often involved in campaigns for local office and volunteered at local headquarters for gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. In fact, she was among those who successfully pushed to have the first political campaign established in Toledo's inner city.
Daisy's community activities also included the Jewel Chapter Order of the Eastern Stars, Black Women's Democratic Caucus, Daughter of Isis Masonic Fraternal Order, Coalition of Voter Registration and Education, as well as the Legislative Committee of the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Daisy's youthful exuberance often led people to assume that she was younger than her actual age. She often stated her age as "39 and holding," codified in a pendant she wore with just that phrase, gifted to her by her granddaughter-in-law.
Daisy leaves to mourn children Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins of Toledo, OH, and Arthur H. Jones, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great=grandchildren; life-long friends Arlena Childs, Doris Greer, Doni Miller and Donna Todd – and a host of relatives and friends. In her honor, all are encouraged to donate to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Community Health Center.
Published in The Blade from Apr. 19 to Apr. 21, 2020.
(News story) Daisy Smith, a nurse honored for her work to help make health care, education about health, and a place in her profession available to all, died March 20 in her South Toledo home. She was 95. She died in her sleep, her daughter Caryn Jones Flournoy said. A stroke in August "affected her strength, but not her mind."
Ms. Smith with Donna Todd and Mary Gregory in 2010 received Impact Newsmaker Awards from the Northwest Ohio Black Media Association. The trio in 1981 co-founded the Toledo Council of Black Nurses. Ms. Smith in 2009 was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, for that achievement, for providing and for advocating access to health care, and for educating others about health risks and healthy living. The news surprised her. "I really don't know for what," Ms. Smith told The Blade then. "I think a lot of people do things for other people. I don't feel like I was doing more than any of the other people who give their time."
Doris Greer, a community advocate and a friend, recalled that Ms. Smith readily collaborated with others concerned about health and community - and was thorough in working toward goals. "That was part of her personality and character - concern for accessibility and equality," Ms. Greer said. "She was a nurse and broke many barriers in the city in that position. "She listened to all people. She worked cross culturally. She was constantly working to see that other people had it better and have accessibility to those things she knew were available," Ms. Greer said. Ms. Smith also volunteered at Neighborhood Health Association and its Cordelia Martin Health Center for to provide care - take vitals, listen to people with concerns, offer guidance and information.
"Daisy was one of the first black registered nurses in Toledo," said Doni Miller, chief executive of Neighborhood Health Association. "She was committed to the care of people who were underserved. And she was committed to offering "that compassion and that need to care for others to a setting where they could get the care they needed," Ms. Miller said. Ms. Smith had been a member of the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Minority Health and worked with a University of Toledo professor to investigate health disparities in minority communities. She was was among seven black Toledoans honored in 2008 for their medical contributions by the African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio.
Ms. Smith was a young widowed mother of three when she enrolled to become a licensed practical nurse. Domestic and restaurant work supported the family and helped pay for her schooling. She told The Blade in 1998 that Toledo teachers volunteered to tutor her. She did her homework in the evening while her children were doing theirs. And she averaged three hours of sleep a night. "It was not easy for an African-American woman to enter the profession in those days," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 1998. She worked at Riverside Hospital and, in order become a registered nurse, continued her education at the former Maumee Valley Hospital. She said in 2009 that she could not have pursued her career without neighbors who looked after her children while she worked and studied, or without teachers who helped her get accepted to registered nurse studies. "Toledo has really been very kind to me, and I really feel that I owe the town something," Ms. Smith told The Blade in 2009.
As a registered nurse, Ms. Smith had clinical manager roles at Mercy Hospital and at Parkview Hospital. She was a former manager of the state developmental center in Batavia, Ohio. She later received a bachelor's degree from UT and continued with graduate studies. "She was very motivated, very self directed," her daughter said. "She was the type of person who wanted to do better for herself and wanted to make life better for other people."
She was born Aug. 26, 1924, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Omelia and George Lancaster. Family members were in Toledo. She and her first husband, Arthur Jones, followed, "to improve their life style," their daughter said. He died in 1948 at age 25. Surviving are her daughters Caryn E. Jones Flournoy and Donna M. Jones Watkins; son, Arthur H. Jones, Jr.; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services were private. Arrangements were by House of Day Funeral Service. The family suggests tributes to Daisy Smith Pediatrics at the Cordelia Martin Health Center.
This is a news story by Mark Zaborney. Contact him at [email protected] or 419-724-6182.
Published in The Blade on Apr. 19,
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