Dr. Charles Edward Smith, III (Ed), 80, passed away Tuesday morning, December 28, 2021, at Charleston Area Medical Center with his family by his side.
Ed was born May 30, 1941 in Charleston.
He was a loving father, grandfather and husband. In testament to this, when he was admitted to the hospital, within a few hours he was surrounded by 17 family members and his minister.
Ed was a graduate of East Bank High School and a proud graduate of West Virginia University and West Virginia University School of Dentistry. He practiced in Ripley from 1965 to 2017.
From the time he was a pre-teen, he spent hours hunting and fishing. He liked to squirrel hunt and rabbit hunt with his two beagle dogs, and he also liked to deer hunt.
As a young child and young man, his parents spent every summer vacation at Watoga State Park. Later, he would spend nights or sometimes a week with Jewell Pyles. They loved the area so much, that his parents bought land from Jewell Pyles and Ed, his dad and Bear Lane built the cabin. Bear Lane lived on Steven Hole Run Road. They named the cabin on Summers Dean Road Beaver Circle Lodge.
Ed was fortunate to spend nearly the entire summer, minus two beach trips, and a few weeks this fall, putting in a stone fence in front of the property. He and Diana have spent a lot of time with family there and have shared the place with many of their friends. Ed spent time fishing while Diana kayaked, and they had a lot of campfires. There was no place he loved more than his place in the mountains. Pocahontas County was like heaven to him. He hunted many of the mountains there and he has fished all the rivers and streams in the county. Some of his special times were spent sitting on his deck facing the river and watching an eagle sitting in a tree across the river.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Edward and Ruth Yevetta Smith; brother, Russell Eugene Smith; father-and mother-in-law, John and Frances March; and sister-in-law, Mary Frances Chapman.
He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 55 years, Diana March Smith; sons, Charles Edward “Chaed” and Salem Conway (Kim); granddaughter, Kaylee Ryan Smith; grandson, Aidan Calvert Smith; and sister, Rebecca Smith Reed (Fred).
Funeral service was held Sunday, January 2, 2022, at Waybright Funeral Home in Ripley with Dr. Rev. Ford Price and Dr. Rev. Basil Hensley officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ed’s memory to Epworth United Methodist Church, 299 North Church Street, Ripley, WV 25271 or to your favorite charity.