Genell Dozier

Genell Dozier, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and devoted friend lived a life that was both humble and extraordinary. In the comfort of her home, she transitioned peacefully on September 30, 2025, at the age of 92.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory with Minister Edwin Roberts officiating and Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory directing. Burial will follow at 1:30 PM EST, Monday October 6, 2025, at Chattanooga National Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday from 10:00 AM until service time.

Genell attended Bransford High School in Springfield, Tennessee and was the first in her family to graduate high school. While in high school, she recalled competing against legendary Olympian Wilma Rudolph, a point of pride she carried with both humility and delight. Her school community remained a lifelong touchstone as she stayed connected, returning often for reunions and maintaining the bonds of friendship she built in her youth.

Genell was the heart of her family, a steady anchor whose home, humble in walls but rich in hospitality, was a place where love, laughter, and welcome overflowed. An extraordinary home cook and accomplished baker, in her kitchen, there was little she could not make special. Her cakes, pies and homemade preserves were requested near and far. Each one is a testament to her incomparable skills and devotion to family and friends.

Genell’s artistry extended beyond the table. In her ceramics, shaped and painted by her own hands, she found a creative outlet that brought her joy, yet its truest expression was realized in the giving. Each piece, like her meals and her baked goods, was made not to be kept but to be shared as tokens of her care and kindness.

Genell loved the Lord and became a Christian at an early age. Her desire to worship and fellowship led her to Adam Street Church of Christ, where she faithfully attended and served until her health no longer allowed. She gave freely of her time, her talents, and her prayers, offering the same generosity of service to her church as she did to her family and friends.

While Genell was humble, she was never timid. Genell was outspoken, direct, and opinionated in the very best of ways. Genell held the courage of her convictions and was never afraid to speak her mind whether you were ready to hear it or not. Her honesty was as much a gift as her kindness, and both will be sorely missed.

Genell’s 92 years bore witness to one of the greatest transformations in America’s story. Born into a time of segregation, she came of age in a world that sought to limit her possibilities, yet she walked forward with courage, faith, and resolve. Genell actively soldiered through the Civil Rights Movement not with bitterness, but with a steadfast belief in service and in the promise of something better. By the sheer dignity of her life, she broke barriers and built bridges, leaving behind a legacy that reaches far beyond any single era.

The friendships Genell nurtured, the family she raised, and the people she touched are bound not by race or circumstance, but by the authenticity of her love and the truth of her example. In them, her legacy lives on: a reminder that what unites us is far greater than what once sought to divide us.

Equally constant was Genell’s devotion to marking the moments of others’ lives. With unfailing devotion, she never forgot a birthday. Just as certain as the sun rising, you could count on a card arriving in the mail. Year after year, without fail, Genell remembered every single one. Those cards were more than paper and ink; they were love sealed in an envelope, proof that you were seen, remembered, and cherished. That tradition, as ordinary as it seemed, was extraordinary. It will never happen again, and its absence will be felt forever.

Left to cherish the memory of Genell Dozier are her children Clark(Laura) Watts,

Clifford(Tonita) Dozier Jr., Carson(Rosaline) Dozier, Lysandra Dozier Kilow, April Howell; her grandchildren Elisha Watts, Earl(Wendy) Watts, Leeasia Sutton, Jasmyne Kilow, Janiya Kilow, Jeron Kilow, Jalen Cofield, Aidan Dozier, Damaris Dozier, Lisa Watts Thurston, Jessica Dozier, and Dezon Dozier; her great-grandchildren Earl Eljin Watts Jr, Abbygail Watts, Samiyah Sutton, and Treble Dozier; special Nieces and Nephews, Aileen Marsh, Marcia(Donald) McGraw, Daryl Dozier, Charles Marsh, Kendall(Leoni) Marsh, Bettye Cox, and Teresa Rickman; Godchildren, TorRessa(Richard)Osborne, Diane(James) Ivery, Melissa(Rodney) Wolfe, Jaquelyn Griffin, Derek(Latara)McGhee, and Michelle Thompson, Bretford James Griffin II, Richard Riley, Darrell Wilson; a wide circle of family and friends who will forever carry her voice and her example within them.

Genell is reunited in eternal rest with her beloved husband, Clifford; father, Robert Smith; mother, Willia Mae Wells-Smith, daughter, Audrey Watts; five brothers, William Bruce Smith, Zenia Smith, Rufus Smith, Claude Smith and Bobby Gene Smith; 4 sisters, Opal Woodard, Mossie L. Rickman, Juanita Smith, and Pauline Smith.

Though our hearts are heavy, we honor the legacy she leaves behind. Genell’s life was built on strength, humility, and love. Without riches, titles, or acclaim, Genell made an impact that cannot be forgotten. Genell will be remembered as a devoted mother, a faithful servant, a sharp mind, and a generous spirit. What Genell gave through her love and example is indelible, and it will remain with her family and all who knew her—FOREVER.

Acknowledgements

The family of Genell Dozier extends heartfelt thanks for your prayers, visits, calls, flowers, cards, and every act of kindness shown during our time of loss. Special thanks to Diane Ivery, Zakina Henderson, Enterprise Health and Rehabilitation Center, Southern Care Hospice, and Searcy Funeral Home for your compassionate care. Your love and support have brought us comfort and strength. May God bless each of you.

With love,

The Dozier Family