Nancy Marguerite (Ragan) Smith

Nancy Marguerite Smith, 78, of Pinehurst, NC, passed away Friday, June 4, 2021.  There will be no services.

Nancy Ragan Smith, 78, died on Friday, June 4, 2021, at Moore Regional Hospital. She was born Nancy Marguerite Ragan on May 18, 1943, in Raleigh, NC, the eldest daughter of the late Samuel T. and Marjorie L. (née Usher) Ragan.

“Rita”, as she preferred to be called, had a contagious joy of life that touched everyone around her. Her insatiable appetite for books, art, and travel reflected her belief that once you stop learning, you stop living, and it was with voracious curiosity that she observed life.

Her joy of learning did not end with the academic. Inspired at an early age by her beloved grandmother Lula, Rita embraced the exploration of travel and the joy of “making things”. These passions carried her through life, and with wide eyed enthusiasm, she set sail.

Rita was accepted to the University of Georgia at age 15 and later, to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. When she was 27, she spent 2 years studying abroad in Paris and at age 30, she made Canada her permanent residence, eventually working her way up to become the first female sound engineer at the University of British Columbia’s Crane Library for the Blind. During that time, she moonlit at night as a drummer in a band and became a legacy amongst the Vancouver Punk scene for her bootleg recordings and her colorful promotional posters. From 1987 to 1988, Rita went to India to transcribe for the Dalai Lama, an experience that she would later claim, changed her life forever. During the next 20 years, Rita worked as an ad designer for several Canadian and American publications, 2 of which were nominated for Canadian Juno Awards and 28 of which won SNA, Suburban Newspapers of America, and CNA, Canadian Newspaper Association, awards. At 65, she moved to Manhattan and at 70, she enrolled in the digital and graphic design program at NYU where she ranked top of her class, carrying a consistent 4.0 GPA. At 68, her “hobby” of creating miniature silk rugs earned her the highest honor with the International Guild of Miniature Artisans, IGMA where she was given the title of Fellow Artisan.

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