Brenda Smith Baron

Brenda S. Baron, born in Poplarville, Mississippi on September 12th, 1948, passed away on Saturday, June 10th, 2023, at the age of 74, in Gulfport Mississippi surrounded by her loving family. 

Brenda’s academic journey reflects her intellectual curiosity and dedication to education. She earned a Master’s degree from Mississippi State University after which she pursued another Master's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. With great passion for space sciences and military service, Brenda worked for NASA and the U.S. Navy.

Apart from Brenda’s professional accomplishments, she devoted time to nurturing her hobbies including cooking delicious meals, adopting rescue dogs that she loved dearly, growing vibrant house plants, and tending to her spring and summer garden.

Brenda shall be missed by all those who knew her. She is survived by her brother, William Delous Smith, Jr. and his wife, Kristy, and their daughter, Baylee; her sister, Melinda Smith Helton, and her husband, Darryl, and their children Ashley and Jacob; and her niece, Victoria Hunter Cardoni, and her husband, Robert; and many other friends and extended family members.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward V. Baron; son, Nicholas Vincent Baron; father, William Delous Smith, Sr.; mother, Nelda Seal Smith; and her sister, Lyda Smith Hunter.

A private memorial service will be celebrated at Riemann Family Funeral Home in honor of Brenda's life, and she will be laid to rest at a later date at Poplarville Cemetery.

We express our deepest condolences to family members during this difficult time while simultaneously celebrating Brenda's life lived fully with love, dedication, and curiosity.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Nicholas Barron Marine Science Education Endowment Fund, at the University of Southern Mississippi (a fund set up for marine biology/marine science students).