Lanara S Southard

Lanara Southard
1938 – 2025
Our sweet mother, Lanara Stewart Southard, 86, of Pensacola, entered Heaven on Saturday morning March 15, 2025. She was born May 4, 1938, to Walter Talmadge Stewart and Ethel Mae Bauldree Stewart in Chumuckla, Florida.
Lanara grew up on the Stewart family farm in Chumuckla with her parents, four sisters and two brothers. After graduating from Chumuckla High School in 1955, she attended Florida State University where she graduated in 1959 with a double major in science and physical education.
She met her future husband, Howard Vero Southard, when the two taught in neighboring classrooms at Milton High School. Upon marrying on December 31, 1960, Howard re-entered military service as a career. Their 57-year marriage was blessed with three children, Celeste, Mark, and Scott.
Howard and Lanara traveled the world together before starting and raising their family. Their travels sparked Lanara's love for exploring the world and spreading her kindness to people she met everywhere. She shared this passion with her children, and they continued taking grand family vacations throughout her life. Lanara was also an accomplished athlete, playing many sports in high school and college, including softball, basketball, volleyball and field hockey. She and Howard enjoyed playing tennis and golf together throughout their marriage.
The family was stationed all over the U.S. during Howard's career, but they eventually returned to Northwest Florida where they enjoyed being near Lanara's large, close-knit family of brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. When they settled in Pensacola in 1982, they joined Olive Baptist Church.
In addition to her family, Lanara's other loves were her church and the Joy Sunday School Class. For over 40 years she poured her life and love into the women of the Joy Class which, at one point, was regularly attended by about 200 women. Every lady was welcomed and special, and everyone had a job. Weekly, she taught the bible, monthly she organized class meetings, and yearly she held class retreats. In addition, she planned several trips each year for class members to enjoy fellowship and fun together. The class, due to Lanara's heart for women and penchant for organization, is a flurry of active ministry touching almost every area of Olive Baptist Church and the surrounding community. Their motto, JOY (Jesus, Others, You) is a living legacy of a leader who was loved and will be dearly missed.
Lanara's love was always with her family, friends and church. Her goodness, wisdom, caring and sense of compassion live on as a legacy that will always be with those she leaves behind.
Lanara was preceded in death by her husband, Howard; her parents; a brother, Lorenzo Stewart; a sister, Margaret Stewart Campbell; three brothers-in-law, Glen Campbell, Jack Hare, and Bill Morris; and seven Southard brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Clara and Hershel Perry, Opal and Walter Gorrell, Lela Southard, Clifton and Verna Southard, Nola and Manford Edens, Hugh and Wanda Southard, and Betty and Delbert Peters.
She is survived by her children and grandchildren, Celeste (Amy Miller) Southard of Milton, Mark (Joyce) Southard and their children, Nolan and Mia of Pace, and Scott (Joanna) Southard and their children, Molly and Kleet of Huntsville. She is also survived by sisters and brother-in-law, Millie Hare of Milton, Mavis Morris of Huntsville, and Ruthie (Edmund) Fortune of Pace; brother and sister-in-law, Walter Lorandal (Beth) Stewart of LaGrange, GA; and dozens of nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
Services will be on Wednesday, March 26, at Olive Baptist Church. Family visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by public visitation at 11:00 a.m. Funeral services will begin at noon at the church with Dr. Ted Traylor officiating. Burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery.