Eloise Smith White, age 88 was called by her Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ to her Heavenly Home on November 7, 2013. Eloise was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on June 25, 1925 and moved to Leesburg with her parents, Dreyfus C. and Marie Polk Smith from Benton, AR when she was 4 months old. Eloise was immediately enrolled in the Cradle Roll of First Baptist Church, Leesburg, and was an active member in the Church all her life. She became a baptized member at 9 years old, and was the longest term member. She served as a Trustee and Director of the First Baptist Foundation. For many years, she was the Superintendent of the Junior Sunday School Department, and the Youth Department of Training Union. She volunteered at the Church's Pregnancy Care Center, the Benevolence Center and was presently on the Visitation Team. Eloise is survived by her husband of 68 years, L. Clyde White, their daughters; Diane (Marvin, Jr.) White Geiger, Leesburg, and Debra (A. Glenn) White Haywood, Kennesaw, Georgia. Grandchildren surviving are Mitchell (Shanna) Geiger, Phoenix, AZ, Christopher (Janet) Haywood, Acworth, GA, and Katherine (John) Haywood Hamil of Kennesaw, GA. Great Grandchildren include Madilyn, Baden and Jaxon Geiger, and Katelyn Haywood. Also, survived by a sister, Doris S. (Raymond) Mason, Havana, Fl. She was predeceased by her father, Dreyfus Smith, mother, Marie Smith Williams, stepfather Herman Williams, Sr., brother D.C. Smith, Jr., sister Aurelia S. Blount, and grandson Montgomery L. Geiger. Eloise graduated from Leesburg High School, with the Class of 1943, attended classes at Lake-Sumter Junior College and received a graduate degree from the American Institute of Banking. Eloise was employed by the First National Bank of Leesburg, which later became Sun Trust Bank, for 40 years. She was the first female Branch Manager for Sun Banks in Lake County, and ended her banking career as Branch Operations Officer. She was appointed to serve as Bank Education Advisor for Florida by the National Association of Bank Women's Educational Foundation. Also, while working at the Bank, she served on the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Banking, as the Lake County Chairman and Coordinator of the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and was honored as the Volunteer of the Year by the Central Florida Cerebral Palsy Association in Orlando. Over the years, she served the City of Leesburg on the Ambassador Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, The United Way, and the Leesburg Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee. Highlighted as "Achiever" by the Leesburg Daily Commercial. After her retirement from Sun Trust, Eloise and Clyde combined their love of travel with their love of Mission Volunteering, serving several shortterm missions with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in Panama, and England. Also, with the Home Mission Board in Hawaii, 10 times, and with Campers on Mission in North Carolina, Georgia, Maine, Utah, and in Florida at mission fairs and on the Seminole Indian Reservation. Other Leesburg organizations that Eloise was a member of include the Gideon Auxiliary, the Junior Women's Club as a Charter and lifetime member, the Senior Women's Club, the Christian Women's Club, Friendship Force (serving as an Ambassador and Hostess to Australia, and New Zealand), Friends of the Leesburg City Library, and the Heritage Society. Most recently honored by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee of Lake and Sumter Counties as a Pioneer and Patriot of 2009. Visitation will be held at First Baptist Church of Leesburg Chapel on Tues. 11/12 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM with a service to follow at 11:00 AM with Pastor Gary Blanchard officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Leesburg.
Published in Daily Commercial, The (Leesburg, FL) - Sunday, November 10, 2013