Cheryl Snipes Smith

Cheryl Ann Snipes Smith was born at Quincy Hospital on July 17, 1949, to John and Nina Snipes and died at home on December 27, 2013. A lifelong member of Centenary United Methodist Church, she participated in the first summer session at Centenary Camp. In 1967, Cheryl was valedictorian of her class at Quincy High School. During college, Cheryl studied abroad in Valencia, Spain, a foundational experience in her life as a Spanish teacher and a passionate traveler.

After graduating from Florida State University, Cheryl began her teaching career at James A. Shanks High School before joining the faculty of Robert F. Munroe Day School in Mount Pleasant. There she taught English and Spanish for nearly 30 years.

From 1971 to 1991, Cheryl was married and raised two daughters. She worked hard to make the family farm a success and enjoyed traveling throughout Florida and across the nation to support and promote Gadsden County's tomato industry. 

In the classroom, Cheryl instilled in hundreds of students her most important lesson: learning is a lifelong pursuit which comes from more than simply memorizing textbooks. For almost 25 years, she led eighth graders around Washington, D.C., every spring, relishing the joy of new discoveries with each trip. She helped dozens of students tour Europe during the summer while earning dual enrollment credit at Tallahassee Community College and Florida State University.

Cheryl loved reading, traveling and laughing with friends. A grateful member of the 12-step community in Quincy and Tallahassee, she earned nearly 23 years of sobriety and worked hard to take life one day at a time. Cheryl loved keeping up with her many friends and former students through phone calls, Christmas cards, letters, emails, and even Facebook.

Cheryl is survived by her daughters, Leigh Ann Smith of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Lynsley Smith of New York, New York; sister Debra Ferstler and brother-in-law Howard of Tallahassee; brother Bob Snipes and sister-in-law Nanami Jingu of San Diego, California; and many other friends and relatives. Her family is particularly grateful to angel neighbors and caregivers Betty and Patsy, and Cookie and Matt. Memorials may be sent to Robert F. Munroe Day School, Centenary United Methodist Church, or Big Bend Hospice.

A celebration of Cheryl's life will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 29, at Centenary United Methodist Church in Quincy, with visitation following the service. 

CSS hopes all of her students will keep striving for "the A answer" in all they do and will remember to keep their passports up to date, "just in case."