Andrea "Andy" Leah Panton

Andrea “Andy” Panton (March 3, 1943 – April 4, 2023) lived a full, beautiful and dignified life. Her husband, Errol, adored her, and together, they taught their children – Samantha, Kendra, Leah, & James – and their grandchildren – Alexandra, Christopher, and Logan - integrity, loyalty, perseverance, and compassion; imbuing them with the skills and confidence to pursue life with a pervasive and contagious fervor. She was her daughters’ greatest ally – pushing them to be more than they ever thought they could be. Andy was born in Bridgeport, CT to Ada & RW Smith and lived in CT before moving to New York and working for TWA Airlines. Andy never saw herself moving to or making a life in Jamaica, however, in 1963, while on vacation, and sitting in a bar at the Sheraton Hotel in Kingston, JA, she met the man who would eventually become her husband of 54 years. On January 31, 1969, Andrea and Errol wed and began their life together. And almost immediately, their life became full with the family that they created. Later that year, they welcomed their first daughter Samantha, and three years later, in 1972, their second daughter, Kendra, was born. In 1978, their third daughter, Leah made her surprise arrival. These three girls all grew up into women who exhibit the best but different aspects of their mother. In 1986, after spending vacations in South Florida and the rest of the year in Jamaica, the family moved permanently to Plantation, FL and then eventually, in 1996, to Tallahassee, FL. Andy always had a keen interest in how the mind worked and while in Tallahassee, in 1997, she earned her Master of Science degree in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. The year 2000 was not just the start of a new millennium for Andrea and Errol, it was also the beginning of a whole new adventure when they adopted their grandson, James. With the swoop of a signature, their new son joined their family and he immediately became the sun and moon to them both. However, the growth of Andy’s family did not stop there. In 2003, both Alexandra and Christopher were born, just a mere three weeks apart in age. And in 2009, Logan was born, and Andrea knew her family was complete. Each of these grandchildren could not have been more different from each other, yet each of them reflected what Andrea and Errol passed down to their daughters and what their daughters passed down to their children. And Andy could not have been prouder of each one. Andy had many hobbies such as reading, knitting, puzzles and playing games. She had an amazing affinity for dogs and they were always a part of her family – Dori and Taz brought her huge amounts of love and comfort over the years. She loved things of good quality, whether it was a great scotch, a great steak, or an amazing facial. However, two of her favorite things were to fill her home with beautiful and eclectic artwork and to travel. She embraced different experiences and was filled by being surrounded by beauty – whether it was created by a master or by nature. But none of this could compare to the simple joy she would get by having her family surround her – Her perfect Christmas present would be to have all of her children and all of her grandchildren under one roof. To that end, Andrea passed in a way that would have made her the happiest – in her home, with beautiful music playing, the wind on her face, her dogs by her side, and surrounded by the people that she loved most in the world. This world was blessed when 80 years ago, Andrea Panton nee Smith was born, and it is much emptier and seems much poorer without her in it. She will be desperately missed. But her presence in it had an impact, one that will have a ripple effect from the love she shared and spread through her children and her grandchildren that will be felt for generations to come. On Saturday April 8 at 2 PM, a service will be held at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church (2015 Fleischman Rd) with burial to follow at MeadowWood Memorial Park (700 Timberlane Rd). After the service, family and friends are invited to share happy memories and celebrate Andy’s life after in her home. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Big Bend Hospice (https://bigbendhospice.charityproud.org/Donate ) as thanks for all they did for Andy to provide peace and comfort in her final days and all those in need of care in our community.

Tributes

Andrea "Andy" Leah Panton

March 5, 1943 - April 4, 2023