Priscilla “Timmy” Barrington

Priscilla “Timmy” Barrington, 82, died Thursday, August 10, 2021. Born February 19, 1939 in Oneida, NY, she was the daughter of the late David RC Smith and Dorthey Murray Smith.

Mrs. Barrington is survived by her husband of 55 years, Melvin “Mel” Barrington; daughter, Robbin Timerman of Columbia, SC; brother, David FM Smith (Janet) of Bella Vista, Arkansas; nieces, JoAnn Smith of Syracuse, NY, Phyllis Tucker of Chitenango, NY, Ellen Hilleges (Brad) of Bridge Port, NY, and Cindy Garcia of Cancun, Mexico; as well as several great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her nephew, Eric Smith.

In high school she loved the sport of field hockey and in Girl Scouts she earned the Curved Bar (equivalent to Eagle Scout for boys) and managed to demonstrate her popularity by being elected Queen of the Senior Prom. Her first marriage to her childhood sweetheart, a local successful diary farmer, didn’t work out but did produce her lovely daughter, Robbin. As a single mom she helped support her self and daughter working as a waitress and secretary to the superintendent of schools in Canastota, NY while earning her Associates Degree at a local junior college (SUNY Morrisville New York). There she met her husband in the same degree program and the new family moved to Tallahassee where she attended FSU while he pursued his BS and MBA. She finished her BAIS in business and most of her Masters in Sociology at the University of South Carolina. She is a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Colonists (NSDAC). While seeming to be out of fashion by today’s standards, she was kept very busy job supporting her husbands career in building a world class Hospitality Education Program at USC by entertaining and traveling all over the United States, Canada, and Caribbean. At the same time she did manage to take a course each semester at USC, while remaining active in Meals on Wheels, the Literacy Council (Each One Teach One) and the Unitarian Universalists Fellowship of Columbia. She has also been known to dabble in the stock market. All the while maintaining the job of a full time mother. Her hobbies included reading, movies, correspondence, decorating, and cooking.

A memorial service will be held at a future date in the Unitarian Universalists Congregation of Columbia. Donations may be made to her favorite charities: Oliver Gospel Mission, Harvest Hope, and Habitat for Humanity.