Margaret Lee Smith

Obituary of Margaret Smith Margaret "Polly" Lee Smith died peacefully in the early hours of Monday, February 29th; born 12 February 1920, she was 96 years of age. She grew up, one of five daughters of George Roger & Netty Lee, in the turpentine camps of west Florida and southern Alabama. She withdrew from Florida State College for Women (later Florida State University) in Tallahassee to return to her home in Pensacola when World War 2 broke out. She worked with First Baptist Church of Pensacola to provide for the social and religious needs of sailors assigned to the West Florida Naval training facilities. After the war she accepted the call to direct the educational work of First Baptist Church Leesburg and then in 1947 moved to Queen's Square Baptist Church in Charleston South Carolina. Local business man, D Carl Smith thought that a poor idea and followed her to Charleston, asking her to return and become his wife. They were married in her home church in Pensacola on August 12, 1948. When Mr. and Mrs. Smith returned to Leesburg, Polly worked in the church in a variety of volunteer roles, Women's Missionary Union, Vacation Bible School and Director of Children's work were all among her passions. Carl and Polly had four sons and when the youngest entered school Polly returned to school part time and finished her degree from FSU in 1965. She taught fifth grade, first at Beverly Shores Elementary and after a reorganization of the Lake County School System at Rimes Middle School. She was active in Alpha Delta Kappa teacher's sorority and the Leesburg Women's Club. She retired in 1987. She returned to the classroom in 1990 to teach first grade in the First Baptist Church's then new school First Academy. She served the new ministry for three years while a younger teacher was recruited. In retirement Polly and Carl traveled to the Holy Land, various sites in North America, and cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean. After Carl's death Polly moved into teaching a class of senior women, mostly widows, and instilled in them a care and love for each other that survives her surrender of the class in 2014 as her health declined. She is survived by one sister, Georgia Ruth Lee of Shreveport LA; three sons: Dale (& wife Margaret of Gaithersburg, MD), Wayne and Roger (both of Leesburg); and three grandsons Weston (of Daytona Beach), Darion (& wife Leigh of Gaithersburg, MD), and Clinton (of Leesburg). A memorial service will be held in the Chapel of First Baptist Church, Leesburg, 15 March at 1:30 PM.

Margaret Lee Smith

February 29, 2016