Annie Dee Leatherman Smith died peacefully with her family by her side on May 11, 2011.

She was born on Huckleberry Creek in 1916, the first child of Nancy Mason Leatherman and Solomon Carl Leatherman. The family moved to Cowee Valley in 1924 where they had a farm by the Little Tennessee River.
After attending Athens Business College, Annie Dee worked for the Forest Service in Franklin, where she met Walton Smith. They were married in 1936 and one of their first adventures was building a cabin on the Leatherman mountain land from chestnut logs. Walton and Dee lived in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Wisconsin and then Asheville. Dee was known and loved for her ever gracious hospitality and hosting a home which welcomed and entertained many guests from around the world. Dee portrayed the natural beauty both in her lovely appearance and her character.

In 1969, Dee and Walton retired and built their home on the 'home place' site where Dee was born. They established Waldee Forest which is counted amount North Carolina's Century Farms. Their reputation for hospitality continued for twenty six years and their mountain home was filled with family, friends, colleagues and numerous college students experiencing Waldee.

Dee and Walton were active in the local community as well, serving as Co-Chairs of the Cowee Development Council from 1993-95. Dee once said about returning to her beloved mountain; "There was just a little something lacking that wasn't fulfilled until I came back, I couldn't explain it to you, but it was there." Dee Smith will be buried, next to her husband, Walton, on land that has been in the family for seven generations. Her brother Claude Leatherman, sister, Dorothy Bradley and great grandson, Adam Elkins, predeceased her.

She is survived by her sister, Betty Leatherman Ross (Bill), with whom Dee lived after she was widowed; five children, Deanne Smith (David Peacock), Patricia Adams (John), Dorothy Sullivan (Jack), Sylvia Calhoun (Pat) and Ramsay Smith (Anne Burrell Smith); twelve grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
An article on Dee and Walton, in the Franklin Press in 1994, states the way so many feel: We know of no one who has contributed more to keeping this community from being severely fragmented than Walton and Annie Dee. And, you should not speak of them separately nor honor them separately for although Walton is the one usually up front in the public eye, he would not have been there so successfully and of such strong nature had it not been for the stature, the character and wisdom of his mate, Annie Dee Leatherman Smith.

A Graveside Service was held Saturday, May 14, 2011 in Waldee Forest on Huckleberry Creek Road, Franklin, NC.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee for wildflower enhancement in WNC. PO Box 1148, Franklin, NC 28744 or www.ltlt.org.

Macon Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.