Georgia lottery winner says life won't change much after winning state record $767,335 in Fantasy 5 game

Jet, August 7, 1995

There are more than 700,000 reasons why Felecia Renae Smith could change, but the 33-year-old Palmetto, GA, schoolteacher says her new lottery earnings of $767,335 won't change her.

The amount, which Smith won on July 4, while playing the state's popular Fantasy 5 game, is a record to date for that game, according to Georgia lottery officials.

Aside from buying a brand new Oldsmobile and shopping for a new house, Smith told Jet her lifestyle will stay the same.

"I teach school and I like my job - it's something I enjoy doing so I'm not going to quit. I'm looking at this (the winnings) as a way to supplement my pension when I retire," Smith said, still a bit hoarse from the excitement, in a telephone interview from Palmetto.

Smith, who has been teaching for three years, said she spends about $6 a week on Fantasy 5 and about $15 a week on all lottery games. The bachelorette said she bought the winning ticket, a quick pick, at a convenience store in her home town.

A practical joker, Smith said her family wouldn't believe her when she announced she had won.

When she receives her one lump sum payment, Smith said she plans to do something nice for her parents, Thomas and Francis Smith, and her older and younger brothers, Michael, 35, and Arthur, 31.

We probably won't go to Disney World, but maybe I can take them all on a cruise."