By SHERRY DIGMON
News Publisher
Long-time educator Juanita Smith passed away Sunday, February 18, in Atmore.
When Atmore News posted word of her passing on Facebook Sunday afternoon, posts in response to the news poured in from students and fellow teachers as they remembered her with fondness and offered prayers for the family.
Mrs. Smith moved to Atmore in 1951. Her teaching career in the Atmore area spanned 31 years, including two years at Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill. She spent 29 years at Escambia County High School (ECHS) in Atmore, where she taught American history, served as a guidance counselor, and volunteered as the faculty sponsor of annual events such as homecoming, graduation, the Junior-Senior Prom, and Atmore’s Junior Miss pageant. She retired from ECHS in 1982.
Mrs. Smith and her late husband were among the original organizers of Atmore’s First Presbyterian Church in 1953. She was an active member of the local congregation and served a term as the District Presbyterian Women’s Group President.
She volunteered as a Pink Lady at Atmore Community Hospital and served a term as the auxiliary president. In later life, she was active in the Atmore Garden Club and the Atmore Historical Society.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, February 25, 2 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church in Atmore.
Mrs. Smith’s full obituary is on page 3A of this edition of Atmore News.