Lorena E. Smith

Lorena E. Smith, 75 (previous resident of Avon Park, FL), peacefully passed away on Monday, March 19, 2018 at Florida Hospital Orlando with several of her family members by her side.  Lorena was born and raised in Newport News, VA and graduated from Newport News High School in 1960.  She then attended Christopher Newport College where she had the distinction of being included among the College’s group of “First Decaders”….those students who enrolled/attended during the school’s first decade.  There she became the first Editor of “Chris’s Crier” - CNC’s first school newspaper.  It was around that same time in which she met, fell in love and married her husband of 50 years, Terry.  After getting married, Lorena decided to take on a full time job in the school’s library as an assistant until the family moved to North Carolina so Terry could attend Duke University.

After her husband graduated from Duke, the family made their way to Florida and eventually settled in Avon Park in 1978.  It was there that Lorena began her 37-year career in education completing all of these years at Avon Park High School.  Lorena started out working as an assistant with the migrant student population then moved into the Guidance Department where she remained until her retirement in 2015.  She dedicated her career to helping students in any way she possibly could and truly enjoyed going to work each day.  Throughout her career, she volunteered countless hours especially to the Athletic Department in which she assisted coaches, operated the scoreboards, worked the concession stand and attended several events to support the teams.  Over the years, Lorena made many lifelong friends in both the faculty as well as previous students.

Lorena was an avid sports fan.  She dearly loved college & professional basketball, baseball, football, tennis and eventually developed a true passion for Nascar Racing.  She was a regular attendee of the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as SCCA races during the time in which her husband and son formed their own amateur racing team called “T & L Racing.”  In addition, Lorena was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Avon Park and volunteered her time for several years teaching a primary level Sunday School class.  During the summer, she enjoyed teaching students enrolled in the Vacation Bible School program.

Lorena lived her life according the “three F’s” …...Faith, Family and Friends.  She was a devoted Christian, a loving/dedicated wife and mother, an incredibly loyal friend and eventually became an extremely proud grandmother/great grandmother.   She is survived by her brother, Meredith Elder and his wife, Sandy; two children, Jeff Smith and daughter-n-law, Penny Herman; Joanne Duffey and husband, Mike; three grandchildren:  Amanda Smith-Yeager, Brianna Duffey and Kaitlin Duffey; one great-grandchild: Daniel Yeager; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Avon Park, FL on Saturday, June 30, 2018 at 2p.m.   A Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held immediately following the service at Big T Tire Event center in Avon Park, FL.