Jewel Smith Allen, 83, of Roanoke Rapids passed away on Monday, October 27, 2025.  

Born to William Henry Smith and Etta Gray Britt Smith in South Rosemary, North Carolina, Jewel Gray entered the world small in stature but mighty in spirit.

With three older siblings — Lewis Smith, Alice Faye Smith Brewer, and Doris Jean Smith Michael — she made her presence known from the very beginning. 

She graduated from William R. Davie, and it was there she met the love of her life, Charles "Tommy' Allen. They married in 1960, building a home and raising a family together in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, a home filled with laughter, something sweet always in the oven, and homemade cherry cobbler made from the fruit of the tree they planted together.

Reunited in faith, she joins her husband of fifty-seven years, Tommy, her parents William and Etta Smith, her brother Lewis Smith, her sisters Doris Jean Michael (George) and Alice Faye Brewer, her Mother and Father-in-law, Arthur and Ollie Allen.

She leaves behind those who will continue her story: her children, Todd Allen (Paula) and Cathy Crochet, her grandchildren, TJ Allen (Gaby) and Samantha Gray Allen (Cesar), her brother-in-law, Wayne Allen (Carolyn), and her nieces and nephews, Crystal Allen Ward, Diane Brewer Seth, Vicki Lynn Michael, Steven Wayne Michael, and Danny Lee Michael along with numerous great nieces and nephews.

A lifelong caregiver, Jewel entered nursing school while Todd and Cathy were teenagers, balancing motherhood, studies, and work with an unshakable grace.

She loved caring for her patients while she served on the fifth floor of the hospital. She later joined a local clinical practice, where she remained for many years. Her colleagues affectionately called her "Mama Jewel".

Jewel (Nama) lived life like her favorite color, ruby red: warm, luminous, and full of heart. She passed just days before Tommy's birthday, and her family finds comfort in believing he simply couldn't bear another birthday without her.

Jewel found great joy and peace in nature and was passionate about her daily walks on the canal trail. Even as her mobility declined, she continued walking with remarkable determination, earning milestone badges and proudly tracking her progress. 

She found God in the wind along her favorite trail, in the sunlight through the trees, and in the quiet company of those she loved most. 

In a crisp autumn breeze on the trail, she felt closest to heaven. With her grandchildren beside her, she watched moonflowers open at dusk and morning glories bloom at dawn, quiet reminders that faith endures in every beginning and end. 

For her, the flowers taught patience. She found solace and comfort in animals, believing they carried the purest form of love and trust. A devoted animal lover, she cared for countless pets throughout her life, especially her golden retriever, Maggie Gray. She lovingly called Maggie's fur "glitter." In her later years, she volunteered with local animal rescues, dedicating her time and heart to caring for senior animals in their golden years.

Her kindness was her legacy, her laughter, her melody, and her heart, radiant and ruby red, will forever guide those she leaves behind. Her spirit lives on in the work she inspired, the lives she touched, and the love she gave so freely.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any local animal rescue or senior animal care fund in Jewel's memory.

A phrase Nama said most often was "I love you to the moon and stars and back." 

For her, those words weren't about the night sky, but the endlessness of love itself, the measure of a heart that never stops giving. We left handwritten notes with that phrase for her, small tokens of love tucked into corners she'd find. To her family and all who knew her, she was the kind of love that lingers: warm, steadfast, and everlasting.

Remember her in every beat of a hummingbird's wings, on a crisp fall morning, and in every piece of milk chocolate. Remember her in the glow of Christmas lights that shine long past the holiday. Remember her in every gentle touch of a nurse, every fur-covered blanket, in the smell of honeysuckle, lily of the valley and strong coffee. Remember her in the warmth of homemade biscuits and chocolate chess pie, and in the laughter that came with birthday cakes, even half birthdays, because every milestone was worth celebrating. Remember her in the small, beautiful things that make life sweet.

We hope you are dancing in the sky, and we hope the angels know what they have. We never said goodbye, we only said later. So, we love you to the moon and stars and back again. Until we meet again....later Nama — Samantha and TJ

A Graveside Service will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, November 3, 2025 in Cedarwood Cemetery with Reverend Sue Owens officiating. Friends may sign the online register by visiting www.hockadayfs.com