Maxine S. Middleton of Pensacola, a woman of fierce independence and privacy, departed her loving family on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 1:30 in the afternoon. She left us not one second before or one second after, but straight up and to the point, much like she lived her life.

Miss Maxine, as she was lovingly referred to, was born in Lasca, Alabama, in 1931 to the late William Earl Smith, Elsie Williams Smith and stepmother Maggie Gray Smith.

She is preceded in death by two sisters, Willene LeMaster and Ann Ball; and two brothers, Harold Smith and Evie Smith.

Surviving Ms. Middleton are her husband, Leslie Johnston; daughter, Kathryn (Jack) Ellertson; son, John (the late Suzen) Middleton; one granddaughter, Paige (Clint) Tisserand; and two great grandchildren, Bronwyn and Barrett Tisserand; and numerous nieces and nephews; also surviving Ms. Middleton are her much-loved sisters, Jean (Walt) Coggin, Joyce (Jerry) Loftin, Linda Thomas and Patsy (Jim) Berryman.

After graduating from high school and attending business school in Montgomery, Maxine went on to a career with the Federal Government at Fort Rucker Alabama. As a result of her profound sense of fairness, she was part of a successful class action suit brought against the government involving a gender-based equal pay discrimination lawsuit. She held her own in a male- dominated work culture and provided both courage and voice to women of the time who needed it.

Maxine enjoyed gardening, whether working with her amaryllis or finding farms that offered you pick produce to can and freeze. She was a dawn gardener, who often worked beneath skies painted pink and orange, slipping inside only when the rest of the world began to wake.

Our mother was known for her Bingo prowess. She played often and won several considerable grand prizes. Utilizing her Bingo wins, she became a frequent cruiser, and we believe she had her personal cruise consultant on speed dial. In addition to Bingo, Maxine loved the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. She was from a long line of supporters of the institution and was Roll Tide all the way. During her last days of clarity and speech, she asked about the score of the Alabama versus Auburn football game. She now has the best seat in the house and can forever cheer on the team she loved.

Maxine was the last surviving member of her graduating class of 1949 from Sweetwater High School, Sweetwater, Alabama. She will be interred at Forest Spring Cemetery, located in Morvin, Alabama, at a date to be determined.