Doris Blue Smith

Doris Ann Blue Smith, age 76, passed away on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at her home in Houston, Tx. Doris was born on November 2, 1949 in Lecompte, Louisiana. She was raised in the church by her late mother, Doretha Bowie Blue, and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at an early age when she was baptized at First Edgefield Baptist Church in Cheneyville, La.
In March of 1968, she married James Samuel Cornell, and from that union her only child, Cynthia Denise Cornell, was born. Shortly thereafter, they relocated to Houston, Texas, where they would later divorce.
Doris worked in the kitchen at the renowned Warwick Hotel (now known as Hotel ZaZa) to support herself and her daughter while pursuing her education in nursing. She graduated from Alvin Community College’s nursing program and earned her nursing license in November 1976.
She remained active in the church throughout her life, faithfully serving in the kitchen ministry until her final church home, New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, under Rev. Raymond E. Hall, Jr.
Over the course of her nursing career, Doris worked at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for several years before transitioning into long-term care and skilled nursing facilities. It was there she truly found her calling, caring for patients and guiding families through life’s most difficult transitions. Her compassion, professionalism, and work ethic made her deeply respected and beloved.
If you ever met Ms. Smith, you knew you were loved and valued. She had a gift for making people feel seen and cared for, forming lasting bonds that often felt like family. The same compassion she extended to her patients was present in every part of her life.
Doris loved to bake and was a gifted cook. Wherever she attended church, she could often be found serving on the kitchen committee, preparing meals and caring for others. In her spare time, she enjoyed crocheting, making scarves, hats, and throws for family and friends. She also loved to travel and take time away to rest and recharge.
She worked faithfully until her health began to decline.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Doretha Bowie Blue; her sister, Wanda Blue- Fisher; and her brothers Jesse Blue, Donnie Ray Blue, Wilmer Blue, and Roosevelt “Shane” Blue.
She leaves to cherish her memory her sister, Patricia Ann Blue of Alexandria, Louisiana; her only child, Cynthia Denise Cornell of Houston, Texas; her grandchildren, Rodgerick (Kayla), AJay, Cynarra, and Kendall, all of Houston, Texas; her great-grandchildren, Aurelius and Ka-El; her special sister-friends, Ms. Annie Gray of Houston, Texas, and Sis. Barnett of Houston, Texas; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Homegoing Celebration
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.
Doris has completed her earthly assignment and transitioned from labor to eternal rest.
She fought a good fight. She finished her course. She kept the faith.
Her life was a testimony of strength, grace, compassion, and unwavering love. She gave of herself freely, loved deeply, worked faithfully, and served others with humility and dignity.
Though she is no longer seen in the flesh, her legacy remains alive in every life she touched, every prayer she prayed, every meal she cooked and every heart she comforted.
And now, her earthly journey has come to a close, but her legacy of love, faith, and service continues to speak. Doris has laid down her burdens and taken her rest in the arms of her Savior. No more pain, no more labor, no more weary days, only eternal peace and joy in the presence of the Lord.
We imagine Heaven rejoicing as she is welcomed home, reunited with loved ones gone before her, and hearing the words, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.” Though our hearts mourn her absence, we rejoice in knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Her life was a testimony of strength, compassion, and unwavering faith. She loved deeply, served faithfully, and gave generously of herself to others. Her spirit remains forever etched in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.
Well done, Doris… rest now in perfect peace.