Diane Smoke

With deep love and profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, Diane Smoke, who departed this life on May 20, 2025, at the age of 76.
Born on June 25, 1948, in Allendale, South Carolina, Diane was the cherished daughter of the late Eddie Daniels Sr. and Janie Daniels. As a young child, she moved with her family to Miami, Florida, which remained her home for the rest of her life-except for a brief chapter in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Diane was not traditional in many respects-she carried her own weight and relied on no one to do it for her. Her resilience, independence, and quiet determination defined her life. She held long-standing jobs where she took pride in her work, including at The Clothes Horse - a high-end clothing store where she worked from the 1970s to the early 1980s. After the store closed, she transitioned to Publix Supermarket in Coral Gables, where she worked as a cashier until retirement. There, she interacted with people from all walks of life-including local celebrities who frequented the store. But no matter who walked through her line, she treated them all with dignity and that familiar blend of warmth and wit that was uniquely hers.
Diane was the devoted mother of three sons: Gerald Patterson Sr., Chester Smoke Jr., and Michael Smoke Sr. Her love for them was unwavering-quiet but fierce, deeply rooted in strength and expressed more through action than words. She parented with purpose and presence, not performance. She found great pride and joy in her growing family, blessing the world with her legacy of grandchildren: Natavea Lincoln-Williams, Ashley Diane Patterson (whom she named), LaToya D Patterson-Branam, Tiffany N Patterson, Gerald Patterson Jr., Imani Anusiem, DeAndre Smoke, Michael Smoke Jr, Marcus Smoke, Matthew Smoke, Michelle Smoke, Mariah Smoke, and Brandon Smoke. She also leaves behind her cherished great-grandchildren: Alexander O'Brien, Ashtin Patterson-Bryant, Camerin Patterson-Bryant, Penelope O'Brien, Averi Patterson-Branam, Davis Patterson-Branam, and Samuel Williams.
Her influence stretched far beyond the walls of her home. Diane's quiet wisdom and lead-by-example approach shaped the lives of her sons and the generations that followed. Through them, she made a lasting contribution to the world in the form of educators, medical providers, military members, legal and financial professionals, and public servants and great-grandchildren who are poised to leave their own mark, shaped by the love and resilience she passed on through those who knew her best.
Diane is survived by her brother Leo Daniels of Newport News, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her parents, Janie and Eddie Daniels Sr., her brother Eddie Daniels Jr., as well as her late husband Chester Smoke Sr. She is also fondly remembered by her daughters-in-law, Talya Patterson and April Wallace, and by a small but loyal circle of friends, including her dear Friends Francis Daniels and Ms. Martha, whom she held in the highest regard.
Fiercely independent and private, Diane lived life on her own terms. She was a woman of quiet strength and stubborn courage-reserved in her affections but fiercely loyal to those she loved. Her heart was open to very few, but to those she embraced, her loyalty was absolute. She had a special place in her heart for stray cats-tending to them with the same quiet compassion and care she extended to her family.
In her final years, Diane faced health challenges, including the onset of dementia, and she faced it with the same quiet resilience that defined her life. Though her world grew smaller, her spirit remained strong, and her love-though often unspoken-never wavered.
"She was a young teen mother who made her own way despite all, with the support of loving aunts and grandmothers who helped raise her three boys. She fought for us quietly, but fiercely-especially when we were young. In that silence was the sound of a mother's everlasting love." -
shared by her sons, Gerald Patterson Sr., Chester Smoke Jr. and Michael Smoke Sr.
We will miss our dear mother and counselor-quiet when uninvited, but wise and reassuring when requested. We will never forget her, and we will pass along the truth of who she was.
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