Charles Smith

Charles Lee Gordon Smith, 85 year old resident of Grove, Oklahoma, passed away on November 26, 2019 in Bixby, Oklahoma.

Born in Tulsa on the 17th of August, 1934, Charles grew up working on his family's dairy farm with his two brothers. He attended school in Collinsville, OK where he graduated. During his schooling he showed holstein heffers in FFA, always showing at the Tulsa State Fair, winning many 1st Place awards. He became president of the Collinsville FFA chapter and was nationally recognized for his judging, placing second in the nation. Falling in love with Shirley Ann Coppedge on the senior trip, he turned down a full ride agriculture scholarship to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami to stay close to Ann whom he would soon marry. Charles attended college for accounting only to decide he didn't want to be strapped to a desk for a living. He went on to raise a family of FFA children [in his footsteps] and delivered milk for Glencliff Dairy until learning the filling station business from his father, eventually buying a DX station he operated in Tulsa. He later went into appliance sales at Sears for a number of years until he left the retail profession to build homes. Starting in Tulsa and moving to Kansas where the operation grew to success with thousands of homes built until they retired in 2002. With hopes to spend more time around the lake they moved to Grove where they would inevitably return to what they did best--work.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Ann in 2015.  He is survived by his four children, Chuck Smith and wife Danna of Belton, Missouri, Rick Smith and wife Susan of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Russell Smith and wife Kelly of Bixby, Oklahoma and Kim Hood and husband Joel of Independence, Missouri, and two brothers Ronald Joe Smith and wife Patty of Oologah, Oklahoma and Donald P. Smith and wife Nadine of Grove, Oklahoma.  Charles was blessed with 10 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

Memorial Services are scheduled for 11 AM, Thursday, December 5, 2019 at Trinity Baptist Church with Pastor Robert Carter officiating.  Arrangements entrusted to Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home, Grove, Oklahoma. Online condolences at www.honoringmemories.com or on the Worley-Luginbuel Facebook page.