Charles Eugene Smith went to be with his creator on April 6, 2020, at the age of 87.
He was born September 6, 1932, in Independence, Missouri, to Theodore Franklin Smith and Coila Alva (Tienken) Smith.
Charles was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and later ran for County Assessor for Kansas City, Mo. He moved to the Phoenix Metropolitan area in the 1970s. Charles joined the Camelback Mountain Lions club where Barry Goldwater was a member and became their President. Through the Lions Club, Charles hosted a Foreign Exchange Student, Yasuko Matsumoto, who became a lifelong friend and part of the family.
He spent the rest of his career working in the financial services industry. He received many awards during his working career. Charles never met a stranger and always knew everyone in his neighborhood. He loved having family and friends come to visit and he always had room for them to stay. Charles loved to travel as well as just find a back road and spend time sightseeing. One of his favorite places was Las Vegas for their shows and to show off his BlackJack skills. Of course, he was always a WINNER! He was an avid soccer fan. Charles played soccer until he was 65 years old. He loved going and watching the kids and grandkids play. Charles also had a deep love for animals. He loved the routine visits from the local wildlife.
Charles is survived by his eight children, Patricia (Jim) Phillippe, Marcia Velazquez, Marc (Mary) Smith, Susan (Rick) Cary, Heather (Dave) Hacker, Matthew (April) Smith, Abby Smith, Sara Leathers; sixteen grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.
Preceding in death were his parents, Theodore Smith and Coila Jones; sister, Billie Smith King, brother, Gerald “Chris” Smith; and grandson, Ben Velazquez.
Cremation will take place. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, 247 W. Johnson Rd., La Porte, (219) 362-3100 is caring for the arrangements.
Please send condolences to the family at www.LakeviewFHC.com.
Memorial contributions may be directed to your local animal shelter in memory of Charles Eugene Smith.
