Linda Bodison Smalls

Mrs. Linda Abbie Deautra Simon Bodison Smalls, daughter of the late Robert Lee Bodison and Ada Osbourne Bodison of Round O, South Carolina, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 12, 1951. She quietly transitioned to God’s eternal kingdom on August 11, 2025.

She was united in holy matrimony with the late Willie Francis Smalls on November 17, 1973. To this union, three children were born.

Linda was formally educated in the public schools of Colleton County, graduating from Colleton High School in 1968. Her pursuit of knowledge led her to Claflin College in Orangeburg, SC, Baptist College at Charleston (Charleston Southern University), and Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts. She attained the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Education and Sociology, Master of Science in Education, and Master of Science in Early Childhood Education.

She began her professional career at the South Carolina National Bank in Columbia as a teller and then as a checking fraud prevention specialist. Upon returning to reside in Colleton County, she decided to become a stay-at-home mother to support her husband’s career. In the late 1990s, she reentered the workforce and provided program education and service coordination to senior citizens at the Colleton County Council on Aging. She then joined the Colleton County School System, where she served in various capacities, ending her career in education as a Special Education Liaison with the Colleton County Office of Special Services (now the Office of Exceptional Children). Lastly, she pivoted to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she worked with Marines and their families who were transitioning to on-base housing from other active-duty locations around the world until she retired. Her career was a testament to her adaptability and service-oriented nature.

Her Christian journey began at an early age at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Round O, where she continued to serve for most of her life, with brief stints away at Ridgewood Missionary Baptist Church in Columbia and First African Baptist Church in Beaufort. She is a past church secretary and member of the MSMBC Gospel Choir. 

Until her health declined, she was an active member of the Sunshine Chapter #389 Order of the Eastern Star.

Mrs. Linda Bodison Smalls leaves behind to cherish her memory, one son, Dr. Eppechal Smalls, Sr. of Maineville, Ohio: two daughters, Dr. Schanna Smalls of Glen Allen, Virginia and Mallaree Smalls of Durham, North Carolina; a daughter-in-law, Dr. Lola Kelly Smalls, two granddaughters: Kellynn and Archer Smalls and one grandson Eppechal Smalls, Jr. (EJ) all of Maineville, Ohio and numerous other family members and friends.

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