Charles Orlean Smith November 16, 1931 – February 20, 2019 Share this obituary Send Flowers View/Sign Guest Book| Send Private Condolences| Send Sympathy Card Charles Orlean Smith, 87, of Crowder, died Wednesday, February 20, 2019 in McAlester at a local nursing center. The family will greet friends and visitors from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday at Bishop Funeral Service and Crematory. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, February 25, 2019 at Bishop Chapel of Memories officiated by the Rev. Gary Wilburn. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Memorial Park Cemetery with Masonic rites and Military Honors. Pallbearers will be Canadian Valley Telephone employees: Ronnie Pulchny, Greg Cecil, Keith Yount, Rusty Fassino, Wayne Griffin, and Mike Dawkins. Honorary pallbearers will be Donnie Pulchny, Vess Neill, Gary Brooks, Garry Brown, Robert Miller, Reece Crabtree, James Prince, and David George. Charles was born to Orlean H. and Lillian (Ledgerwood) Smith on November 16, 1931 in Muskogee. He married Betty Ruth Grubbs on July 12, 1963 in McAlester. Charles graduated from Canadian High School, and then attended OSU where he was a member of the ROTC. After graduation, he served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He returned home in 1957 from duty with the Army Signal Corps in Alaska. Upon his return, he worked with his father and owned and operated the Canadian Valley Telephone Company in Crowder. He was a member of the Oklahoma Telephone Association, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Telephone Association Hall of Fame. He also had received the Bill Barnes Award in 2012 for excellence in professional telephone standards. Charles was also a member of the National Cooperative Telecommunications Association. Charles was active in the community serving as a Boy Scout Troop Master, active in 4H, sponsoring the Charles Douglas Smith Scholarship Fund for Crowder and Canadian Schools, and a member of the Masonic Lodge. He obtained a teaching certificate at the age of 77 and worked as a substitute teacher for Crowder School. He was a member of the Canadian United Methodist Church where he was the music director, choir director, and soloist. Charles enjoyed gardening, building, and traveling. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing. Charles was preceded in death by his parents: Orlean H. Smith and Lillian (Ledgerwood) Smith; son: Charles Douglas Smith in 1979; brother: Jack Smith; sister: Kaloolah Byers and husband, LaMont; and brother-in-law: Al Marra. He is survived by his wife: Betty of the home; son: Orlean Smith and wife, Shane of McAlester; daughter: DeeAnn Wood and husband, Blake of Collinsville; grandchildren: Colin M. Smith of Ft. Worth, Texas, Makenna S. Smith of Ft. Collins, Colorado, and Holly K. Wood of Collinsville; sister: Armina Marra of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; sister-in-law: Linda Hamilton and husband, James of McAlester; brother-in-law: Garry Grubbs and wife, Marketta of McAlester; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other family members and friends. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pittsburg County 4-H Club or to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. SERVICES Funeral Service Monday, February 25, 2019 11:00 AM Bishop Funeral Service and Crematory 110 S. 3rd St. McAlester, Oklahoma 74502 Get Directions on Google Maps Print Obituary
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Charles Orlean Smith November 16 1931 February 20 2019.
Source: Bishop Funeral Service and Crematory
Death notice for the town of: McAlester, state: Oklahoma