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2008 Persons Of The Year: Sharon Smith
January 5, 2009
The late Sharon Smith has been named as one of our NorthEscambia.com Persons of the Year. Mrs. Smith was a teach at Molino Park Elementary School until her sudden death moments after waving goodbye to her students on the last day of school. Along with Mrs. Smith, we honor all of our North Escambia teachers and everyone else that works hard to educate our children.
On the last day of school, Mrs. Smith waved goodbye to her students, turned around and lost her breath. She died a short time later. She spent 36 years of her life educating students at the former Molino Elementary School and at Molino Park.
Reprinted below is a NorthEscambia.com story about Mrs. Smith’s death.
Beloved Molino Teacher Passes Away After Waving Goodbye To Students
Molino Park Elementary fourth grade teacher Sharon Smith was set to retire Friday. She stood outside the school, waving goodbye on the last day of school to her students.
She turned back toward her Molino Park Elementary school and lost her breath. Sharon Smith, 57, passed away a short time later.
“She loved ‘her children’ in her class,” Molino Park Principal Alice Woodward said. “She was happy all day today; it was her retirement day. She didn’t feel bad at all.”
Molino Park fifth grade students “walk the walk” and wave goodbye to cheering friends and family on the last day of school. Mrs. Smith walked too, arm around another retiring teacher as they waved to the cheering crowd.
Then the students left on the buses, Mrs. Smith waving goodbye to them.
“She was excited to go outside and wave goodbye to ‘her children’ as they left school,” Mrs. Woodward said. “She was so happy. Then she turned around and went inside. That’s when she started having trouble breathing.” Mrs. Smith died a short time later.
Funeral services are set for Thursday, the day the school had planned to throw a retirement party for her.
Mrs. Smith had experienced more than her fair share of tragedy in the past months, with both her husband and son passing away within six months of each other. Her husband, President Smith, Jr. passed away May 1, 2007, and her son Reginald Smith died on October 20, 2007, at the age of 23.
“She retired, then she went home to the Lord to be with her husband and son,” Mrs. Woodward said.
“We were her family; she was ours,” Mrs. Woodward said. “We are really going to miss her.”
Mrs. Smith began teaching in 1972 at Molino Elementary School, where she remained until 2002 before moving to the new Molino Park Elementary School. Friday was set to be her last day before her planned retirement.
“We thank you and feel blessed that we got to share this awesome teacher and woman with the world,” her aunt Doreatha Jackson said. “She finished her work here.
“And due to her faithfulness in spreading the love of God to others inspite of her pain and heartache,” Jackson said, “He rewarded her by reuniting her with her husband and child. We will miss her greatly but she is happy and at peace! Thank you, Molino Family for loving her.”
Family members say Mrs. Smith suffered one heart attack at the school. She was revived, then died on the way to Pensacola’s West Florida Hospital.
“She finished the race,” Mrs. Woodward said. “She finished the race.”
NorthEscambia.com invites your comments on this article and Mrs. Smith. Email news@northescambia.com or click here for our contact form. To read the comments we have received, click here for our memorial board.
Funeral Services for Mrs. Sharon Smith will be held at 11:00 Thursday morning at the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church at 1120 North Sixth Avenue in Pensacola.
Pictured above: Mrs. Sharon Smith and her fourth grade class wave goodbye about five minutes before their final walk to the buses Friday morning at Molino Park Elementary School. Pictures below: Sharon Smith (top left of photo) and Elaine Barrow pose with students just minutes before they took their retirement walk; and Mrs. Smith at Thursday’s class party. Submitted photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
5 Responses to “2008 Persons Of The Year: Sharon Smith”
Mrs. Smith was my forth grade teacher in 2000 and 2001. I just recently graduated from Melbourne Highschool with Honnors. I’m going to be attended UNF in the fall to major in Chemistry.
Mrs. Smith has always been there for me since I had her for a teacher when i was in forth grade. She kept in touch with me after I moved. She was my best friend and ana amazing lady. Words couldn’t come close to describing how much she means to my heart.
I wasn’t informed she had passed. I recently was in Pensacola visiting my old best friend since forth grade, Chelsea Prather. I met her in third grade but we hated eachother’s guts until we got a chance to get to know eachother in Mrs. Smith’s class. I asked about Mrs. Smith and I cried my eyes out the moment I heard she had passed the previous year. Mrs. Smith and I e-mailed eachother throughout the years and when they stopped I always had her in the back of my mind wondering how she was doing.
The E-mails stopped because she had passed. It honestly broke my heart knowing another generation of forth graders has to go on without her in their life. She is a big part of who I am today and I want the world to know that she is and always will be an amazing lady. She is truly blessed by God and so is and was every child that ever had the oppertunity to encounter such an angel in their lives.
My forth grade year, March 16, 2001, I was hit by a car. Just that friday I got out of class and gave Mrs. Smith a HUGE hug good-bye. Later on that day I had my head slammed literally through a windsheild. The next day, Mrs. Smith was in the hospital holding my hand. She had her favorite Lisa Frank accessories for me with a loving smile on her face. I will never forget a word she told me that day. I love he with all my heart and I pray that everyone remembers just as much as I do. That when every forth grader grows up, they remember her inspiring motos and her gracious love.
I pray that every human being that has ever met her, will always remember the same loving and blessed woman I think about and thank everyday of my life. I have never forgotten her, and I will never. She blessed my heart. And Dear God, I miss her. But I know he has her with him smiling down on all of us.
Mrs. Smith, Thank you for all your love and inspiration. You’ve changed my life, and I know you’ve changed thousands. You’re in my heart, you’re in God’s arms, and you’re in infinite memories. I love you so much, and I will definately miss you dearly.
My mother just found out about this article. I attended Molino Elementary with my great aunt, Sharon, from kindergarten to 5th grade; she actually being my 4th grade teacher. Those were the best 6 years I’ve ever experienced. I’m speechless about this article and the ‘Persons of the Year for 2008″ article. From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of Mrs. Smith’s family. Thank you. Thank you so very much for honoring her memory is such a touching and unforgettable way.
I meet Mrs.Smith when she taught my son Dr.Antoine Roper.(smile) That’s the name she gave my son. Mrs.Smith back then was his 5th grade teacher. Mrs.Smith was so excellence with all her students. Mrs Smith always made all of her students fell very special. Mrs.Smith we love you and thanks again for coming into our lives.(smile).God has 3 beautiful Angles together again.(smile).
I met her when she first came to Molino Elementary in the 70’s. She was known then as Miss Sharon Dawson. She was tall and thin and had this big afro. She came at the time of desegregation to our school. Everyone loved her , as I was beyond the grade she taught she made a wonderful impression on me but she taught my sister and my sister loved Miss Dawson (Smith) She was a wonderful lady and will always be a part of our history at Molino Elementary. Miss Sharon we will never forget you. May God Bless you and keep you safe in his arms. Class of “73″
Mrs. Smith was my 4th grade teacher at the old Molino School. I learned so much from her. Everyone she met she touched some how. I really miss her!