Charles Curtis Smith

March 2, 1935 – July 9, 2026

Charles Curtis Smith, a beloved family member and friend, passed away peacefully at his home in Thomasville, NC, at the age of 91.

Charles was born in the Little River district of Floyd County, Virginia, a descendant of mostly English immigrants who settled the coasts of Virginia and Maryland in the 1600s and eventually made their way into the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southern Virginia. He carried that mountain heritage with him throughout a life that took him far beyond it — traveling the world during his service in the Air Force before ultimately settling in the Piedmont region of North Carolina to work as a jet aircraft mechanic for Piedmont Airlines and US Air.

Charles was a neurodivergent mechanical and musical genius who alternately amazed and perplexed his family, friends, coworkers, and caregivers throughout his long life. A steady and devoted presence, he could fix anything, and his mastery of auto and aircraft mechanics, musical instruments, woodworking and animal husbandry earned him admiration from everyone who knew him. Staunchly adherent to his routines, world view and special interests, he could be indifferent, stubborn and transactional in his relationships. He was most at home when the conversation turned to the subjects that interested him. As one of his caregivers said upon his passing: "He was hardheaded, but we loved him."

He was preceded in death by his mother, Bonnie Annie Laurie Cannaday Smith; his father, John Hampton Smith; his step-mother, Kate Evelyn Weddle Smith; his sister, Lena Evelyn Smith Vest; his first wife, Mary Louise "Dolly" Colburn Smith; his second wife, Sarah Hilton Smith; and his step-daughter, Michelle Journey.

He is survived by his daughter, Sheila M. Smith; half-sisters, Brenda Smith Underwood (Wayne) and Bonnie Smith Elliott (Bob); step-daughters, Teresa L. Weatherly and Carol Weatherly Harris (Jay); step-sons, Harry A. "Micky" Weatherly (Ruel), Timothy Journey (Sheila), and Rick Journey; grandchildren, D. Alan Berger (Angel), David K. Berger, Jason Weatherly (Ashley), and M. Elizabeth Journey; and great-grandchildren, Branden P. Berger, Emily T. Berger (Christian Vaughan), Vincent G. Journey, and Lyna V. Journey.

Charles will be remembered for his sharp mind and steady hands, and the singular way he moved through the world — on his own terms, to the very end.

Services will be held at J.C. Green & Sons Funeral Home in Thomasville, NC, on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The family will greet family and friends during a visitation at 10:00 a.m., followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Mount Pleasant Church Cemetery.

Online condolences may be sent to www.jcgreenandsons.com.