Beatrice "Bea" Taylor Smith

SMITH Beatrice Taylor Smith, 88, passed away peacefully on Jan. 11, 2014 after a long illness which compassionately supported by Community Hospice. Bea, as everyone called her, was born in Richmond, Va. Her family, father, Charles Taylor, her mother, Dora and her two sisters, moved to an orange grove in New Smyrna, Fl. when she was a small child. After graduating high school, Bea came to Jacksonville to train to be a registered nurse at St. Vincent's. WW II had ended and she met a young handsome veteran, Leon R. Smith. They fell in love immediately and soon married on Christmas day 1946. Leon died Dec.13, 2012 just before their 67th wedding anniversary. Bea worked as an RN for a short time after their marriage but when their children came along she stayed home to raise them and to run the home office of Leon's construction business. The family were original parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in 1960. Bea was an active member of the parish, including home room mother, Council of Catholic Women, RCIA sponsor, and baker of many pies, cakes, and brownies for church events, before and after her retirement. For many years in January she and two nurse friends did vision checks for the children at Sacred Heart School, for which she was honored by a dedication to these ladies in one of the School year books. Bea belonged to The Birthday Girls, a great group of ladies, who partied and traveled with and without their spouses and still support each other through good times and bad. Bea is survived by her daughter, Lynn (Anthony) Villotti, son, Ron (Nina) Smith and Terry Smith, grandchildren, Alicia (Willie) Alligood and David (Sara) Villotti, Melissa Brown, Great grandchildren are Madison, Taylor and Christian Alligood and Charlie Villotti. Bea's brother is Charles Taylor and sister, Christine Murray, deceased beloved sister Mildred Woodward Carlson and lovingly supportive nieces and nephews. There will be a funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 11 AM on Thursday, January 16, with a luncheon reception immediately following at the church. She will be buried after the reception alongside her beloved husband at Jacksonville Memory Gardens. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hardage-Giddens Edgewood Chapel located at 729 S. Edgewood Ave., Jax. FL 32205.