Leila Junette Smith Coleman

January 19, 2013

Mrs. Leila Junette Smith Coleman “June,” 88, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, January16, 2013.

Born in Gonzalez in 1924 to parents, Jesse and Bernice Smith, she grew up in the Pensacola area as a child of the Depression and the Second World War. After graduation from Tate High School, she worked in Pensacola at Armor and Company providing secretarial service before heading to Washington, DC to work at the Pentagon. There she spent time with her brother, Harris Smith, SGT, USMC who was recently returned from the war in the Pacific. In 1947, now back in Pensacola, she met and married the love of her life, Malcolm V. Coleman, a Chief Petty Officer stationed at Pensacola Naval Air Station. For the next few years she lived the military lifestyle, raising a family of three sons at a succession of postings. In 1961, “Mac” retired from the Navy and the young family moved back to Gonzalez to enjoy being close to family. June found employment at Chemstrand in the yarn plant but soon was able to transition back to secretarial services at what was now known as Monsanto in the engineering department. She worked there until her retirement in 1989. Following the untimely death of her husband in 1979, she devoted herself to her family, volunteer work, golf and travel. She was a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church of Pensacola. After suffering a stroke in 2005, which left her without the power of speech, she could no longer live independently and spent her remaining years with the caring staff of Homestead Village on Pine Forest Road.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Scott and Sandra Coleman of Atlanta, Curtis Coleman of Edgewater, FL, and Kevin and Joan Coleman of Pensacola; grandsons, Austin and Beth Coleman of Annapolis, MD, Blake Coleman of Atlanta, GA, and Bryce Coleman of Pensacola; three great grandchildren, Jackson, Grant and Jane Coleman of Annapolis, MD; and brother, Joseph Q. Smith of Lihue, Kauai, HI.

Visitation will be Tuesday, January 22, 2013 from 10 AM till the service time of 11 AM at Pensacola Memorial Gardens  Funeral Home. Pastor   Jim Locke will officiate.

Interment will follow at Barrancas  National Cemetery on board NAS Pensacola,.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society; the Alzheimer’s Association or Hillcrest Baptist Church.

Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries