Leah Naomi Fletcher's Obituary
Leah Naomi Fletcher, 96, passed peacefully and naturally, warm in her bed in Homestead, FL on Saturday May 1, 2021.
Born August 29, 1924 in Branford, Florida, Naomi was the youngest of 3 sisters born to Dr. Thomas Joel Fletcher & Bertha Lee Goodbread Fletcher.
A gifted scholar, she graduated from Plant City High School in 1939 at the age of 14. She went on to study at Florida Southern joining the Zeta Zeta Zeta Sorority & continued at Tampa Business University, graduating in 1942 - well prepared for a long and successful career as a Professional Administrative Assistant.
A fiercely independent, modern woman, Naomi moved to Washington, D.C. immediately after graduation. She worked in various Federal government offices in messaging, including relaying classified materials to armed forces units & headquarters. She then traveled to Los Angeles, California, working for Union Oil and was even featured on the cover of their company magazine. In 1961 she came home to Florida, working in State Government offices including the House of Representatives, the Dept. of Commerce & later as assistant to the Lt. Governor. After retiring from the State of Florida, she moved to sunny Miami. Unable to sit idle, she continued working as an administrator for a prominent Neurosurgeon & later a local law firm.
Polite & soft spoken, Naomi was known to all who knew and loved her as kind, open-minded, intelligent, and fun loving. Her beautiful smile and sparkling eyes could charm even the most ornery of people. She adored all animals, especially birds; enjoyed reading the paper, often solving the Sunday crossword in a matter of minutes; and loved a good sports car, having owned several Ford Mustangs. After finally retiring for good, she traveled with her sister Nita to the Bahamas & later an Alaskan Voyage with Nita & nephew Eddie.
Naomi is survived by her nieces and nephew: Susan Wells Rhyne of Key Largo, FL; Darlene Wells O’Connell (Arthur) of Monkton, MD and Edward Spence of Denver, CO. Great nieces & nephews: Lorie Rhyne Leal (Roland), Ashley Rhyne (Chris Miller), Frank Wells (Nicole) of Key Largo, FL and Nathaniel Wells (Nikki) of Pasadena, MD; great-great niece Taylor Miller & great-great nephew AJ Wells.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her two sisters Vivian Lorie Wells (Frank) and Sarah Juanita Spence (William); her nephew Frank “Rocky” Wells, and her beloved pet parakeet Pumpkinita.
Her family would like to thank the wonderful and caring staff of Sunny Hills Assisted Living Facility in Homestead, FL & Vitas Hospice Care.
A private burial service will held at 10am Tuesday May 11, 2021 at Rock Sink Baptist Cemetery in Old Town, FL. Memorial donations can be made to the National Audubon Society or Vitas Hospice Healthcare
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