SUNRISE: SEPTEMBER 29, 1932 SUNSET: AUGUST 16, 2022
Joan Pamela Smith, (Pam) age 89 of Apopka, Florida departed this earthly life on August 16, 2022 and returned home to join her Heavenly Father in her eternal Home where she is surely enjoying the Heavenly Choirs of Angels and her reunion with her loved ones.
Joan (Pam) was the youngest daughter of her loving parents, George Edward Eible and Perina Rita De Maria Eible. She was born in Peekskill, New York, on September 29, 1932. Her oldest sister, Catherine Collette Eible cherished her baby sister throughout Joan’s life. Catherine (Kaki) was known for protecting and defending her sister anytime anyone even tried to cross Joan. During Joan’s early life, she was surrounded by her many Eible and De Maria cousins. At an early age, Joan went sledding with them and as a result ended with a scar over her eye. When asked what happened, she told everyone, “I told the sled to woah and it wouldn’t woah!”. She and her cousin, Johnny De Maria were close pals and at one time they decided that they would pick and eat as many plums on the De Maria Farm as possible. As a result of that escapade, they both got stomach aches and a stern (while smiling) rebuke from Johnny’s dad. They were inseparable but by second grade, the two had to be placed into separate classrooms due to their mischievous shenanigans.
Joan (Pam) attended Peekskill High School where she joined the High School Band as a Majorette. She was later influential in encouraging her own daughters to do the same at their respective High School in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. Joan (Pam) graduated from Peekskill High School on June 27, 1950. She then attended the University of Maryland. She was active in the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and was a popular young woman known for her beauty and her personality. It was while she was attending an Army Navy Football Game in Fall of 1953, with a Naval Academy Midshipman, that another Midshipman (Gary Thomas Smith) saw her and knew he had found the “one”. Gary tried to catch her eye and she at first rebuked him. However, he was not to be deterred and was able to find her address and started writing letters to her. Joan finally agreed to go out on a date with him and by Valentine’s Day in 1954, they were engaged. The beautiful couple was married on June 5, 1954, a day after Gary’s graduation. Gary took a commission in the Air Force to follow his life dream of flying and his beautiful wife embraced the life as a supportive Air Force officer’s wife as Gary went to Flight School. In the early years of their marriage, Joan made extra money for the couple by leading the Greyhound dogs out on the racetrack and also performed her majorette twirling for the crowds.
On December 3, 1955, the couple was blessed with their first-born daughter, Pamela Joy Smith and quickly following on September 8, 1957, with their youngest daughter, Cheryl Kim Smith. Joan enjoyed being a mother to both girls, read to them constantly and always dressed them beautifully. The family moved over the years with each Air Force Assignment. The family would always take a three- week summer vacation to either visit Joan’s relatives in New York or Gary’s relatives in Oregon and California. Joan and Gary made every Christmas something special for their daughters.
While they were stationed in Tampa, Florida, Gary encouraged Joan to finish her college education and teach. Joan agreed and entered the University of Tampa. Even as a college student, she was home to cook lunch for her daughters as they were allowed to walk the short block home for lunch. She also always greeted them at the end of their school day with Oreo cookies and milk. In addition to being a student, Joan substituted at her daughters’ school, Ballast Point Elementary School. In fact, she was a substitute teacher in her older daughter’s 3rd grade class on many occasions. Joan graduated from the University of Tampa, on June 5, 1966.
The family was next assigned to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama where Gary attended Command and Staff School. Joan got her first teaching assignment in Prattville Elementary when her husband, Gary was assigned and sent to combat duty in Viet Nam. During the year her husband was in Viet Nam, she and her daughters wrote to and taped recorded messages to send to Gary. At the end of Gary’s assignment in Viet Nam, Joan met him in Hawaii for an R & R. The family then moved to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. Joan taught second grade at Annette P. Edwins Elementary School where she specialized in teaching reading readiness. Both parents encouraged their daughters to excel in their studies and to join the band which also made Gary proud as he too had been in his High School band in Oregon. On March 27, 1970, Joan lost the love of her life as Gary was killed in an F-4 crash. Joan and her daughters were devastated.
It was during this time of sorrow, that Joan was asked by the Ft. Walton Beach High School Band Director, Mr. Ernest Hebson, what he and his wife could do for Joan and the girls. Joan told them to make sure that both girls were in the High School Band. She also talked to both of her daughters about the future, telling them what careers she suggested for them. She told her oldest to become a lawyer and she told her youngest to go into medicine. As a result, her oldest received her BA in Political Science and then a JD and became a career criminal prosecutor in Orlando. Her youngest daughter received her BS in Nursing, a double masters in Business Administration and Hospital Administration and a Doctorate in Nursing. Cheryl is currently a System Director of Value Analysis for a Medical Corporation in Texas. Joan stayed in the Ft. Walton Beach area where she continued to teach until her retirement.
Joan moved to the Apopka area shortly after her 3rd grandchild was born. Although she had retired, her love of children and teaching led her to become a permanent substitute teacher in Apopka. She finally retired from teaching when she was 70. During her time on earth, Joan loved to travel and took many trips to Europe and Thailand. She also enjoyed several cruises including one to Alaska with her daughter Cheryl and her grandson Robert. She loved and spoiled her three grandsons. She was also blessed with 2 great grandchildren, one in 2018 and one in 2020. During Joan’s life, Joan loved her pups, Pooh, Buttons, Bows, Beau, Little Bit, Nicki 1 & 2.
Joan also enjoyed reading, dancing, collecting Hummels, and joined the local Hummel Club, she was a member of the Red Hats Group and the retired teachers’ local organization. She also joined a dancing group and appeared in a play where she was one of Elvis Pressley’s fans. She lived life to the fullest. She also enjoyed going to lunch with her late friend Joie, Jim Campbell and her friend Josefin. In the last few years of her life, her health began to fail and she enjoyed being at her home.
Joan was preceded in death by her mother, Perina Rita De Maria Eible De Luca in 1960, her beloved husband Lt. Col. Gary Thomas Smith in 1970, and her father, George Edward Eible in 1994.
Joan leaves behind and will be missed by her loving family and friends. She is survived by her oldest daughter, Pamela Joy Smith (Culhan), her youngest daughter, Cheryl Kim Smith Anderson, her grandsons, Gary Edward Culhan, his beautiful wife Katie Culhan; Kevin Culhan, and Robert Calver Anderson. She is survived by her two beloved great grand-children, Dorothy Rose Culhan and Henry Edward Culhan. She is survived by her loving sister, Catherine Collete Martin, and her nieces and nephews, Dr. John Martin, Dr. Catherine Martin Grote, Bruce Martin, Col. Peter Martin and Alyce Martin Aderhold and all of her Martin grand-nephews and grand-nieces. She also leaves behind her nephews, Steven Karl Pifer and Kevin James Pifer and her two Pifer grand-nieces. She is also survived by her loving cousins Johnny De Maria, and Charles and Vincent Eible.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home in Apopka, Florida, specifically with Anna Davison. Joan is now physically resting and interred with her late husband in Pensacola, Florida at the Naval Air Station, Barrancas National Cemetery.
A Catholic Memorial Mass will be held to celebrate Joan’s life in October 2022 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to consider donations to Joan’s life’s passions which included dog rescues, particularly Maltese dogs, local humane shelters, Boys Town, American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.
Condolences may be offered at www.baldwin-fairchild.com.
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