Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 19th for Henrietta Smalls, a White Plains resident who had a long and distinguished career in the field of education. Mrs. Smalls, who was 80, worked for over 20 years in the Mount Vernon and New York City school systems. She passed away late Wednesday evening in Palm Desert, CA. Mrs. Smalls was a well known figure in White Plains, and even when illness eventually limited her mobility, she didn’t let that slow her from making the rounds at her favorite area shops and boutiques. Known for her keen fashion sense, Mrs. Smalls could often be seen sporting one of her hats or shawls from her sizeable collection. Her broad smile and outgoing personality endeared her to many.
Henrietta Priscilla Smalls was born in New York City where she attended George Washington High School in Manhattan. After graduation she attended Hampton University in Virginia where she earned a Bachelors Degree in Education and was a member of the Phyllis Wheatley Sorority. She went on to also receive a Graduate Degree in Education from Columbia University in New York. She began her teaching career at Children’s Village School in Dobbs Ferry, NY where she met her former husband, Henry M. Smalls (pre-deceased). Mrs. Smalls continued her teaching career at numerous schools in the Bronx and Mount Vernon, serving as a Guidance Counselor and a Reading Specialist. She was the first African-American Guidance Counselor in the Mount Vernon school system. According to her eldest son Mark, helping young people to read was something she was particularly proud of, "Mom liked to talk about all the students she worked with that had been labeled as slow readers or having learning disabilities. She took that as a challenge, and took pride in the fact that so many of these students went on to have successful careers."
In addition to her distinguished career in education, Mrs. Smalls excelled in business as well. She was an Area Manager for Readers Digest, coordinator in their fundraising group. Mrs. Smalls also had a passion for the financial markets, and was known for her stock picking prowess. She served as an advisor to many friends and relatives on how to pick stock market winners. In speaking about his mother, Mrs. Smalls’ youngest son Byron, says, "trying to get Mom to turn the television to anything but one of the business channels was a challenge. The only exception was the occasional game show, and even then only if it was something that allowed her to display her ability to solve the puzzle before any of the contestants!"
While Mrs. Smalls enjoyed teaching and picking stocks, it was her family that provided her greatest pleasure. She was proud that all three of her children attended college, and loved to spend time with her four grandchildren. She was an avid traveler, having taken numerous trips to Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. At the time of her passing, Mrs. Smalls was in the Palm Springs, California area where she had traveled to late last year to escape the cold northeast winter.
Henrietta Smalls is survived by her three children, Mark (Andree) of Chicago, IL, and Alyson and Byron Smalls of White Plains along with Annmarie Brissett-McRae, a former student who became a "second daughter". She is also survived by her four grandsons, Jason, Terrence, Gerald, and Bryson, as well as her sister Rosalie Richards and her brother, Percellus Jones. She also leaves behind a host of others who call her "Mom" as a result of her mentoring and guidance as a teacher, counselor, Aunt and/or friend.
The wake will be held at Lee’s Funeral Home, 160 Fisher Avenue, White Plains, NY (914-949-0372) on Thursday, September 18th from 5-8 p.m. The funeral will be held at 11:00 on Friday, September 19, 2008 at Ridgeview Congregational Church, where Mrs. Smalls was a member. The church is located at 12 Ridgeview Avenue in White Plains, NY.
