Lillian Edith Godet Smith, mother of former Premier Jennifer Smith, died early on Thursday. She had suffered a heart attack recently.

Mrs. Smith was 92 and remained active most of her life. Her sister Myrtle Edness yesterday lovingly remembered her long and close relationship with her sister. ?She was a nice person,? she said.

Mrs. Smith was one of three children born to parents Gerald and Adulcie DeShield in Warwick. She went to Paget Glebe School and married Fred Houghton. The marriage had a tragic ending when Mrs. Smith, then Mrs. Houghton, miscarried her first child. When her husband left the hospital that day, he was killed in a bike accident.

Mrs. Edness said it took her sister some time to recover from the tragedy but a few years later she married Eugene Smith from St. George?s. ?Then she moved to St. George?s and she?s been living there for over 60 years,? her sister said. ?When she first moved there we used to write to each other every week. There were no telephones in those days,? she said. According to her sister, Mrs. Smith loved to dance. ?She was a killer dancer when we were young,? she said. And the sisters also had a passion for reading. ?Lil loved non-fiction. She loved to read so much she would want to read at night. Mom would get so mad that she would hide them from her.?

The sisters enjoyed reading so much that they helped form the Socratic Literary Club, named after the Greek scholar Socrates. The club met once a week at the home of different members and not only discussed books but also read poetry and gave speeches.

?When the meeting was at your house then you would have to write and deliver a speech,? Mrs. Edness said. ?That was all a part of it.?

The club met regularly for 50 years but Mrs. Edness said the membership has now dwindled. ?Only five of us can still walk around,? she said. In addition to her love of literature, Mrs. Smith was also an active member of the Richard Allen AME Church in St. George?s. ?I know she used to go to the Salvation Army Home League in St. George?s as well,? Mrs. Edness said. She said her sister would help prepare Christmas hampers.

Mrs. Smith was a clerk in Robinson?s drugstore in St. George?s for several years and was quite chatty.

?Lilly used to have a lot of mouth,? he sister said. ?But after Jennifer went into politics she got very quiet.?

When it came to her daughter?s achievements, Mrs. Edness said that her sister never discussed her feelings. ?Once she went into politics, Lilly just went quiet. But I do know that when Jennifer first started going up there (the House of Assembly), she made her cookies to eat for the late nights.?

While Mrs. Smith was reserved on the topic of her daughter, she was very vocal on how proud she was of her grandchildren.

Mrs. Smith is survived by her daughter Jennifer, son Andrew and three grandchildren, Jaycee, Karli and Kara.

Last night Premier Alex Scott extended condolences to the family.

?The Parish and town of St. George?s have been greatly diminished with the passing of a much beloved and cherished resident. Mrs. Smith ... was a soft-spoken, gently lady and as well might be expected was a very important influence in Jennifer?s life and career.?

Her funeral will take place on Wednesday at Richard Allen AME Church in St. George?s at 4 p.m.