Zonia (Toni) Mae Clemens
11/24/1928 – 12/30/2018
Born in Miami Florida, she was the oldest child of Percy W. and Audrie Rountree. At a young age she moved to South Bend Indiana and after graduating high school at the age of 16 returned to Florida living in the Orlando area.
She married Paul O. Clemens on 2/10/1951, they were married for more than 67 years and have five children.
While raising her children she was very active in the church choir, the Ladies Guild, teaching religious education classes all at St. Andrews Church. She also served on the school board at Bishop Moore High School.
After raising her children; lead by her ambition to further her education and become a school teacher, she earned a Bachelor degree in Education from UCF. She then continued her education earning a Masters Degree from Stetson University. She became a school teacher in the Citrus Country area and taught for 8 years. Her dedication to helping her students achieve more through education was apparent to all. Much of the money she earned, she reinvested into her students and classroom. Parents of her students loved and respected her for all she did and demonstrated this by giving her loads of blue crabs when in season.
When spending time in Bat Cave NC, she wrote articles for the local newsletter and volunteered in the nearby visitor center.
She enjoyed life! Reading, dancing, the beach, sunbathing, gardening, camping, playing cards with great friends, collecting rocks and sea shells, spending time at their vacation home in Bat Cave, watching NASCAR Races, traveling anywhere, being with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and rooting for any college football team that wore red, as it allowed her to yell “Go Big Red” during the game, these are many of the things she enjoyed. It should be noted that later on she saw the light and she realized that her true loves of college football were the Florida Gators and the UCF Knights!
She is survived by her husband Paul, and their five children; Sheila, Donna, Chris, Patti, and Lisa, along with 9 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.