Jacqueline Allee Smith

The end of an incredibly beautiful chapter in the lives of Jackie and Chesterfield. Both will always be loved and missed. Chesterfield was a guiding light to me and for which I will forever be grateful. Jackie made his life whole again and both were supremely happy. It was an honor to know them. May they Rest In Peace.

Jackie was a trailblazer and beacon of light for so many of us. When I first came to Miami, I worked for Holland & Knight on a temporary basis as I thought I wanted to transition to teaching. I met Dean Allee who encouraged me to join her on her journey to secure the accreditation and future of her beloved St. Thomas College of Law. She was also most gracious and understanding, however, when the irrepressible Chesterfield Smith -- never one to shy away from making sure his lawyers stayed at Holland & Knight -- offered instead to make me "his lawyer." Jackie of all people knew that was an offer you could not refuse. She not only tolerated but embraced and encouraged all of "Chesterfield's Babes" -- female lawyers struggling to find their place in a then predominantly male legal field. As a person who valued privacy perhaps more than her always extroverted husband, she nonetheless welcomed the scores of people Chesterfield invited to their dinner table -- usually to serve his infamous "Dish" -- along with robust debate about the legal issues of the time. When I was married, Chesterfield and Jackie were so kind to host a reception for us. They were not just mentors and both legal giants in their respective fields -- they were family and friends. I remember the Easter Egg hunts in the backyard that delighted Jackie when we brought (with trepediation) our young children to their beautiful home. I was the lucky beneficiary of being entrusted with some of her beautiful orchids which continue blooming to this day in our own rainforest garden. While the loss of Chesterfield created a huge hole in her life, we tried to maintain friendships -- including inviting her to our house for "the Dish" -- along with other friends from their past. Jackie took one look and laughed and said "If i eat that, it will probably kill me." Only then did i remember her recent allergies to shellfish... Jackie continued to care deeply about how to help others, giving generously to causes she believed in. Jackie, thank you for leading the way. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and your kindness. Thank you for all you did to make St. Thomas a world class law school. Thank you for your leadership in the ABA Foundation. And thank you for the countless times you opened your home to share laughter, debate and friendship.

Rest in peace my friend. Tracy Nichols and Gerald Sanchez