Obituary of Charles W. Smith

July 12, 1942 – June 13, 2019

Charles W. Smith.  Age 76 of Ecorse.

Beloved husband of the late Susan D. Smith.  Loving father of Theresa (Mike) Lezotte and Charles (Linda Perks) Smith.  Dearest grandfather of Bryan Lezotte and Jason Lezotte.  Preceded in death by sister Marjorie Beason.

Family Tribute

My dad attended Ferndale High School before working for a Production Finishing Corporation for 28 years. He worked as a Journeyman Machine Repairman. He never missed work. He retired from Westcott Displays. He loved his job. My dad always saw the good in people and brought out the best of everyone that he met. He never judged you or criticized. He had a great sense of humor and a heart of gold. He loved my mom Sue with his entire person. They were unstoppable together. They had their ups and downs but they always had each others back. He was tough on my brother and I growing up, as well as most of the neighborhood kids, but he made all of us better adults.

You knew you could talk to my dad and it never went any further than between you and him. He joined the PLAV Club and made quite a few friends. Both my parents enjoyed the club. He loved to fish and hunt, but he quit both when each of his hunting or fishing buddies passed away. He just couldn’t do it without them. He had a devilish streak in him that got him into hot water a few times. But he always had good stories to tell.

He loved to take my mom for rides in his 1940 Ford Coupe for a footlong and root beer. When my mom passed, his sister-in-law Mary Hurst or their friend, Mary Kuhn, would go with him. He loved that car. He also loved his cat Nuttin. That cat was his lifeline when my mom passed. The cat ruled his world. He loved his grandchildren Bryan and Jason dearly. He loved spending Sundays watching football. He was a dedicated Detroit Lions fan and he swore he’d never see them in a Superbowl! He also enjoyed watching NASCAR.

He served in the Army and was proud to say he was an American. He believed Donald Trump is going to bring the USA back where we should be. He never was afraid to speak his mind and I don’t think I ever heard him gossip about anyone. He always told my brother and I to reach for the stars, and that the only thing that can hold us back is ourselves.

I have so many memories with him from fishing, teaching me to ride a motorcycle, drive a car, and having our annual Turkey Roasts. Him dancing to his bluegrass music and generally just making me laugh and shake my head at his crazy self.

The last few years it was hard to get him to leave the house or his cat for that matter. He had a hard time enjoying life after he lost his partner in crime — my mom.

He will always be remembered for being my superman and for all of the happiness he brought to others. My mom, my brother, his grandchildren and I were his pride and joy. But Nuttin was his favorite.