Winifred Smith “Winky” Arrendale, passed away on December 10th, 2015. She was born on July 10, 1919 in Statham, Georgia, the daughter of Annie Camp Smith Williams and Willie Josh Smith. Winky had one brother, Charles “Snuffy” Smith of Athens. Winky and Snuffy lost their father to complications of tonsillitis when they were very young. Their Mother remarried John Williams when Winky was 16 years old, at which time the family moved to Athens. Winky attended Brenau College/University for two years and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English. She was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority.
Winky worked as a Civil Service Representative in Brunswick, Ga after college and during World War II. Once the war was over, she moved back to Athens and then to Washington DC where she worked as a secretary for Georgia Senator Richard Russell from Winder. (She enjoyed telling the story that upon moving to Washington, she wanted to be sophisticated and introduced herself only as “Winifred”. A college chum dropped by the office one afternoon asking for “Winky” and the nickname stuck from then on.)
It was during a trip home from Washington, that Winky traveled with her mother to Clarkesville in Northeast Georgia, to find a particular species of wild flower. It was on this trip that she met Tom Arrendale, fell in love, moved back to Athens, married on Augustus 19, 1950 and settled in Clarkesville . Winky is preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Augustus “Tom” Arrendale, Jr. , who passed away in November of 2003. Tom truly adored Winky and would often say to us, “The only fault I can find with your Mother is that she might love you too much”.
When Winky moved to Clarkesville, she immediately got involved in her community. She created an “expressions” poetry and short story reading program, visiting the local elementary and high schools. She was top billing for most of the Assemblies. Winky also chaired PTA, served as classroom “grade mother” whenever the opportunity arose, chaired and decorated for the Halloween Carnivals and also spearheaded special programs such as vision testing. Winky taught all ages in Sunday School at First Presbyterian of Clarkesville and always volunteered in Vacation Bible School. Winky also helped cofound the First Presbyterian “Women of the Church”.
Winky was instrumental in organizing and starting the Cornelia Garden Club ( she was a talented floral arranger….known for identifying any number of wild flowers on the side of the road while traveling 60 miles an hour) and the Cornelia Council for the Arts. Winky was a strong member of the Tomochichi Chapter of the DAR. She served as Good Citizen’s Chair for 30 years and hosted the Good Citizens Tea in her home that entire time. Also to her philanthropy credit and her strong desire to help others, “The Winifred Smith Arrendale Cochlear Implant Endowment” was established at the Atlanta Speech School as well as the gifting of The Arrendale Library in honor of Tom and Winifred Arrendale at Piedmont College, Demorest, Georgia.
Winky loved all music, theater, travel and antiques shopping. She had a flair for design, was quite the perfectionist and worked side by side with Architect Clem Ford, building her house, “Shasta Acres” in Clarkesville ( “She hasta have this and she hasta have that”).
She was an avid reader and spectacular entertainer. She enjoyed attending Children’s Theatre as well as the ASO ……. forming a group of friends who drove from Clarkesville to Atlanta on Sat. mornings for years to hear the Coffee Concerts. She adored the Allman Brothers Shows, Paul McCartney and Wings performances, Michael Jackson plus ……her favorite…….the Rolling Stones, of course. (Mick Jagger kissed her hand once when she sat “front row center” ). There was not a tune she didn’t enjoy. She had a lovely voice and enjoyed entertaining her friends playing the piano for sing a longs, as well. And, if you had a question about anything, you could ask Mama A….she knew everything.
Most of all, Winky so loved opening her home to all her children’s friends and was known to all as “Mamma A”. The family summers were spent on Lake Burton, where she taught her children how to water ski, fancied sunset boat cruises and would welcome 30, 50, 80 kids in on Saturday nights after Mountain City dances, serving fried chicken and iced tea. Who doesn’t remember gathering around the table on our screened porch (made from the old Tallulah Rail Road trestle), playing cards and sharing stories. Mamma A was amazingly beautiful and, oh, so much fun. Her laugh was infectious and her curiosity contagious. It was all about learning something new and hopefully exciting. And she never went to sleep until the last teenager called to say he or she was safely home.
Winky is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Ann “Cyndae” Arrendale; grandson, Joseph Augustus “Gus” Bussey and son, Thomas Augustus “Gus” Arrendale III, and loving extended family Maggie Hayes and Jessie Smith, Johnnie Mae Hayes and Judy Poole. Our family would also like to thank Home Instead Care Givers: Annette Cheek, Tanya Brown, Lisa Dodd, Betty Knight, Melissa Landers and Jessica Ritenour.
“We love you, Mama…..a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. That’s how much we love you, we love you, we love you.”
Memorial services will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church of Clarkesville with Pastor Lisa Graves officiating. The family will receive friends at a reception immediately following the service at the church.
Winky will be interred in a private service at the family cemetery in Tiger, Georgia.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Shepherd Foundation……2020 Peachtree Rd., NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30309 or to First Presbyterian Church of Clarkesville, P.O. Box 354, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523.
An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.
McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.
