Helen Narcisse Smythe Lovell, 74, of Tiptonville, died Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at The Bridge at Ridgely.

She was a retired teacher and librarian at Margaret Newton Elementary School and a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
She graduated as Valedictorian of Tiptonville High School, class of 1954. She graduated from The University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1958, with highest honors. While at U.T., she was also a Torchbearer Scholar. Helen worked in all the libraries at U.T. and received her Master's degree in education in 1973. While at college she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.
She worked as a teacher and librarian in the Lake County School System for 35 years, retiring in 2000. She was instrumental in the establishment and development of the Reelfoot Rural Ministries. She was a leader in the renovation and restoration of the Tiptonville Public Library. She was involved with developing reading programs that were adopted statewide.
She was a member of the Tiptonville First United Methodist Church, where she served in a multitude of leadership positions, including annual conference representative and choir director.
Helen did extensive world traveling, having gone to all the European countries, Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Tiptonville First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Marita Burkeen officiating. Dyersburg Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

The family will receive visitors from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the church.

Survivors include her husband, Tommy R. Lovell of Tiptonville; a daughter, Lisa Narcisse Lovell of Germantown; a son, Thomas Smythe Lovell and wife, Jane P., of Jackson; a brother, Edward Bartlett Smythe II and wife, Nancy Roberts Smythe, of Knoxville; seven grandchildren, Richard Ashley Jones, Emily Jane Lovell, Rachel Alexandra Jones, Harrison Bartlett Jones, Peter Bartlett Lovell, Anne Thomas Lovell and Edward Joseph Lovell; and a great-grandchild, Kennedy Graham Jones.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Edward Bartlett Smythe and Ena Augusta Abel Smythe.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Reelfoot Rural Ministry, 6923 Minnick Elbridge Road, Obion, TN 38240 or to the Tiptonville Public Library, 126 Tipton Street, Tiptonville, TN 38079.