On Thursday, April 5 ^th we lost our family, our friend, beloved teacher, world traveler and special life coach.  Lou Kada Talton passed away peacefully in the evening after a year long battle with lung cancer.  She faced this battle with the same strength, tenacity and passion in which she lived her life.  She felt from the beginning her time was not up and she took each treatment with a positive attitude and within days stated "that wasn't so bad and I feel pretty good."  She frequently said "I am the healthiest person with cancer you've ever met."  She was angry with the diagnosis being a non-smoker and growing up in a non-smoking home.  A magnet on her fridge states, "If you're smoking in here – You'd better be on FIRE!"

Lou dedicated 34 years to education in the state of Florida, beginning her journey in Daytona and committing the majority of her career to children with learning disabilities at Stuart Middle School before retiring in 2007.  However, that statement does nothing to tell her story.  Teaching was her passion and giving every child in her classroom an example of how you should present yourself to the world was her specialty…how to be courteous, respect yourself and those around you, how to use "good" grammar, how to be honest with yourself and those around you, and most definitely how to wear clean, neat, matching clothes.  She had no problem correcting not only her students, but also all the adults around her.  She did all of this while teaching lessons and giving each child an opportunity to shine.  She was the sponsor for the Jaguarettes dancing team for many of those years and always taught by example.  Many of her students made better life decisions and became wonderful adults with jobs and families under her tutelage, many of whom stayed in touch with Ms. Talton…when they could locate her.

Any time, Lou was not in school, she was traveling the world.  She visited every continent and fell in love with its people, culture and traditions.  On her travels she would visit and live with the families in their homes and share their tables and listen to their stories.  She won them over as she did all of those who came in contact with her.  One of her passions was collecting elephants and believed in their good luck, as many cultures of the world affirm.  They always had to have their trunks raised to shower good fortune on all that walked past.

Lou may have met you as a stranger but that never lasted for long.  You were in fact her family and she treated and remembered you as such.  Any traveler who crossed her path was immediately adopted and added to her ever expanding mailing card list for any and all occasions.  The same was true for the last year.  She adopted her physicians, nurses, techs, pharmacists, and clerks.  They were all her family.  One of her doctors said he always felt like she was teaching him and it was impossible to tell this beautiful fighter no.  He joined the family quickly.

Lou was born and raised in a small town in northern Florida, High Springs.  She started school and graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1967 with the same group of friends remaining  close over the years even though they all went in different directions after graduation.  She obtained her teaching degree in 1973 at the University of Florida in Gainesville, followed by her Masters degree in 1982.  Her parents were John Kada Talton and Lorene Barnett Talton.  She had one brother, Alvin Talton who preceded her in death in 2015 and one sister, Jackie Talton Mullis who resides in Moultrie, GA.  She has many nieces and nephews including Rachel Legend and wife Stacey, Chuck Talton and wife Jennifer, Margie Rabon and husband Jim, Jessica Greene and husband Bill and too many more to name.  She wished each of you a life of happiness and love and always wanted a little more time to be with all of us.  If you knew her and had the beauty of crossing paths, you will surely miss her smile and love.  If you had the misfortune of not knowing her, you have missed one of those shinning and special people who stroll beside us unknowingly.  Lou we wish wings for you to soar the heights and glide along your great journey.  Goodbye my family and life-long friend….travel well.