Charlie (Chuck) John Smith was able to graduate from this life Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, at home in St. George, Utah, with loving family surrounding him. He was born Feb. 5, 1931, to Charlie John Smith and Mary Louise Pingel in Malad, Idaho. He was married to Mary “Constance” Burr, April 1, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple.
He is survived by his wife Connie, daughters Judy Lynn (Vance) Oakeson of Burley, Idaho, Julie Ann (Steve) Barnett of St George Utah, son Jim (Sherian) of Payson Utah, daughter Jeannie (deceased) and her husband Kevin Johnson of Victorville Calif., and daughter Jodie (deceased) her husband Kevin Seegmiller of St. George; and his son Charlie John Smith III (deceased) an sisters Betty Pederson of California, Lois Whalen of Portland, Oregon, and Joyce Bradley of Blythe, California.
He is also survived by 25 grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Chuck went into the Navy at the beginning of the Korean War and was released at the end of January 1955. In the Navy he chauffeured the admirals everywhere. He served four years and was a teletypist sending military secrets to places around the world. He spent almost two of the four years in Hawaii at Barbers Point. He returned to Woodland, California, where he met and married his wife in the Salt Lake Temple. Chuck was a truck driver. They eventually moved to Salt Lake City where he hired on to drive truck hauling lime for Ted Gardner in West Jordan, Utah. After 10 years he moved on to driving truck for Consolidated Freightways.
The family was growing. He was transferred to Cedar City and then on to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he retired from the trucking business. He and Connie moved to St. George Utah. Not wanting to be idle he took a job driving a school bus for the local school district. He enjoyed the kids and stayed for eight years. He had to retire from that after suffering his second heart attack and he and Connie worked in the St George LD.S Temple as ordinance workers for the next few years.
Services will be Friday, Jan. 26, beginning with a viewing at 11:00 a.m. in the Snow Canyon 1st Ward, 1184 N. Dixie Downs Road, St. George, Utah. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. at the Santa Clara Cemetery, Ancestor Way, Santa Clara, Utah.
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