Florence Cathlene Nightingale

Florence Cathlene Nightingale was born in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 3, 1933 to parents John and Eulalie Deane Bailey. She passed peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on March 5, 2026. Florence spent many years in Barbados before making the courageous decision to migrate to the United States and settle in New York to pave the way for her children’s futures. She moved to Florida in 2024 to be with daughter Sharon for help with her care. As a child Elizabeth, one of her grandchildren who lived in Florida, often innocently asked Florence to send down some snow from New York in a cooler, and that request was finally fulfilled when it snowed in Florida on Florence’s first Christmas as a Florida resident.

Florence loved loving others, and she did it with excellence. She was kind and compassionate to everyone, but she had a special place in her heart for those less fortunate. Collecting and delivering clothes to those in need brought her much joy. She also loved being surrounded by babies. As the neighborhood midwife, families knew they could call on Florence and trust her with the health and well-being of mother and baby alike. One of her daughters, Sharon, will always remember running with the kettle and towels to help by her mother’s side as she delivered many babies. Aside from the pride she took in the raising of her own family, Florence felt one of her greatest achievements in life was the gift she was able to give others of helping with babies. Most recently she cherished every minute she got to spend with her newest great-grandbaby Honey Rose.

Sharing the love of Christ was of great importance to Florence. She was always an active member of every church she attended, and her church communities in Florida, New York, and Barbados were all incredibly special to her. She also loved to sing both in church choirs and outside of church. She was one of the first females to sing in a Christian band in Barbados! Her son Jeffrey has the special memories of times he attended choir rehearsals with his mom and got to sing alongside her.

Her relationship with Christ was evident in the way she lived, and people were always drawn to her because of the way His love radiated from within. Reading her Bible and talking about her love for Jesus were a normal part of her everyday life. She provided so many with solid godly counsel and wisdom. When asked “What’s up?” her typical response was “Only my praises!” She taught her children and those around her to live by Scripture - one of her favorites being Exodus 20:12 ‘Honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God has given you.’ Even in her last moments of life, she was making sure she spoke of her Savior. Some of the last words she was able to speak were, “If you don’t know the Holy Spirit, you don’t know anything.”

Florence leaves behind children: Neil Smithwick, Karl Smithwick (Eve), Sharon Taylor, Jeffrey Nightingale (Catherine H. Cornelius-Nightingale), and Janet Nightingale, sister: Rita St. Hill Carr (Kevin), grandchildren: Ronya, Dewayne, Darius, Oneeka, O’Neil, Melissa, Krystal, Kody, Elizabeth, Kristiana, and Karen, numerous great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Eulalie Bailey, a son Wayne Smithwick, sister Gwendolyn Violet Drakes, and brothers Trevor Bailey and Lione Bailey.

Classy, bold, kind, loving, and sincere are among the countless noble attributes of Florence. She will always be remembered as the matriarch of her family and a true woman of God who leaves a legacy that is worthy of emulation.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored by donations in Florence’s memory to the Pregnancy Support Center in DeFuniak Springs or to your favorite local charity.