COACH CHARLES E. SMITH, 81, of Waxahachie, TX died
Sept. 20, 2020 in Dallas, TX.
Charlie was born Oct. 7, 1938 in Holdenville, OK to
Violet C. (Blaylock) & Archie B. Smith. Charlie
grew up in Oklahoma where he graduated from Duncan
High School before attending Murray State (Tishomingo)
and transferring to Austin College where he received
his bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 1960.
He earned athletic honors as an NAIA All-American in
basketball where he enjoyed team success with lifelong
friends. He was elected to the Austin College Athletic
Hall of Fame in 1996. While attending Austin College,
he met and married Linda Smith. In their sixty years
of marriage, they nurtured and loved two sons: Chuck
and Mark.
Coach Smith garnered West Texas Coach of the Year
awards twice during his thirteen-year high school
coaching career. He led young men and women in a
variety of sports, chiefly football for Olney, Ranger
(late 1960s), and Stamford High Schools. Following
his coaching career, Charlie began a journey in
territorial sales and sales management with Commerce
Clearing House (CCH) where he distinguished himself
as a leader in a career spanning twenty-two years.
He achieved the company's highest award, Honor Club
annually in numerous years. He was named Top Division
Manager in the U.S. with CCH in 2004. Charlie was
awarded the Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award
upon his retirement in 2010. He will also be
remembered as co-owner and general manager of Super
Sports, Inc. in San Angelo, TX between stints with
CCH.
Arguably, Coach Smith's greatest joy was coaching,
teaching, and mentoring his two sons in various
sports throughout their athletic lives. Charlie &
Linda never missed a game when Mark or Chuck played.
Dozens of baseball and basketball games; home or
away, they offered their unwavering support for
their son's teams. He actively schooled and tutored
his boys in every nuance of the game, regardless
of the sport. Dad caught thousands of baseball
pitches from Mark and worked tirelessly with Chuck
on shooting and rebounding in basketball. Charlie
shared his coaching, teaching and mentoring passions
with another generation of children as "PawPaw." He
loved playing golf with grandsons, coaching YMCA
sports or hosting family cookouts for his grand-
children and great-grandchildren. Charlie loved the
social element that large family gatherings provided.
Charlie and Linda traveled extensively and the
adventures they shared in Hawaii, Spain, Austria,
Hungary, Bermuda, and other countries are too many
to number. Through sixty years of marriage, they
were rarely apart and consistently expressed their
love for each other and their family and friends.
Charlie's affectionate humor and love for his fellow
man has touched the lives of athletes, co-workers,
students, friends, and family throughout the country.
He will always be remembered for 'championing the
underdog' and sharing genuine love and respect for
everyone he encountered. He lived his life guided
by a simple phrase; "No one cares how much you know
until they know how much you care."
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers
Don and Dennis Smith and sister Diane George.
He leaves to treasure his legacy of love; wife Linda,
sons Chuck (Theresa), Mark (Cheryl), grandchildren
Michael (Judith) and Christopher Smith, Lainie Lee
(Daniel), Shaun Roberds (Kacee), Aaron Roberds and
Chantel Fails (Mark). Additionally, he is survived
by nine great-grandchildren, special furry friends
Pip, Ali, and Stanley.