Ms. Anna Lee Smith Foster

On Thursday, July 30, 2026, Anna Lee Smith Foster peacefully entered eternal rest, leaving behind a legacy of love, resilience, faith, and family.  Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, 7221 S. Sherrill Street, Tampa, FL 33616, with Pastor Correggio Reaves, Officiating.  Interment will follow in Rest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery, 4615 E. Hanna Avenue, Tampa, FL 33610.

Anna Lee Smith Foster was born on April 29, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan, to Ernestine Smith and Milton Howard. At the age of 16, she moved to Tampa, Florida, with her Auntie Cora Oats. She attended and graduated from Robinson Senior High School and promptly entered the workforce. 

Anna dedicated many years of service to National Gypsum (Gold Bond), where she worked faithfully. She was a hardworking woman in a predominantly male workplace who took immense pride in providing for her family and giving her all in everything she did.

Since a child, she was a member of St. Mark Baptist Church in Port Tampa. There, she found strength in God’s Word and the fellowship of her church family.

She enjoyed playing her gospel music or some old school R and B on her phone. She was locked in four times a day, eagerly waiting to hear the keyword from Rickey Smiley’s morning show, hoping to win some money. At 7:00 p.m., the TV is on, and she’s spinning the wheel, playing Wheel of Fortune.  During football season, you can catch her cheering for her favorite Detroit Lions. 

Anna had a beautiful way of making her loved ones feel cared for. Whether it was through a home-cooked meal, a thoughtful gift, a phone call, words of wisdom, or simply being present, she consistently ensured that her family and friends knew they were loved. 

Her love for her children, grandchildren, siblings, and friends was unconditional and unwavering, and it remains one of the greatest legacies she leaves behind. Her greatest joy, however, was being “Grandma.” Her seven grandchildren held a very special place in her heart, and she treasured every moment with them. She watched them grow and celebrated their achievements, creating memories that would last a lifetime. Being their “Po Grandma” brought her a happiness that words cannot fully express, and the love she shared with them will forever live on in their hearts.

She was preceded in death by:  her beloved sister, Genniene Jones. 

She leaves to cherish her precious memory: her three beloved children, Leroy Rass (“Boo”) Gregory, Jr. , Rochell (Shay) Gregory, and Andrea (“Meka”) Parham; her seven adored grandchildren, Jontae Gregory, Antwaun Parham, Jaivion Gregory, Kennadie Jenkins, Jaliyah Gregory, Jonathan Stealey, and Yanus Anderson; her loving siblings, Angela Gilley (Benjamin Gilley), Lolether Richardson (Henry Richardson), William (Tommy) Smith, Craig Taylor, and Sheila Owens.

Anna also leaves behind a host of nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members, special friends, Smith, Jones, Detroit, and Arkansas families, all who will forever hold her memory close to their hearts.

Although our hearts are heavy with sorrow, we rejoice in knowing that Anna’s love, kindness, and beautiful spirit will live on through the lives she touched. Her memory will continue to inspire us, and she will forever remain deeply loved, greatly missed, and never forgotten.

Visitation will be held on Friday, August 21, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Ray Williams Funeral Home, 301 N. Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606.

Arrangements entrusted to Ray Williams Funeral Home, Rhodes & Northern, Owners

www.raywilliamsfuneralhome.com

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