Mary Smith
Age - 93
December 9, 2023
Mary Charlotte Stell Smith, 93, passed away peacefully at Heritage Green Assisted Living on Friday, December 8, 2023. She was the loving and devoted wife to the late Dr. Bernard Fletcher Smith for 51 years. Charlotte was born April 17, 1930 in Norfolk, Va. to the late Virginius Rawls Stell and Florence Knight Stell and was also preceded in death by a daughter, Teresa Rawls Smith. Charlotte enjoyed growing up at Willoughby Beach, Va. and would go on to marry her childhood sweetheart Bernard in 1948 after his return from service in WWII. Together they raised a family of six children and traveled the world. In addition to being a dedicated wife and mother, she worked as a manager of student housing while Bernard attended the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry. Upon his graduation, the growing family moved to Rustburg, Va. where Bernard set up his first dental practice. In 1960 they moved to Lynchburg, built a house and dental office, and became active members of Holy Cross Catholic Church. In the midst of raising her family, Charlotte pursued her academic career, graduating from Lynchburg College with Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Education. In 1978 she earned her PhD in Education from the University of Virginia, writing her dissertation on Camp Child, a camp for children with learning disabilities. Throughout her teaching career she worked as a family counselor, taught adjunct courses at Longwood, Sweet Briar, and Lynchburg College and taught in the public schools of Lynchburg, Bedford, Appomattox, and Campbell County. She was the Director of the LAUREL Regional School for handicapped children, and Principal of Holy Cross Regional School before retiring from school administration. She was also President of the local chapter of the National Council of Christian and Jews (NCCJ). Charlotte loved to volunteer for many organizations throughout the Lynchburg area. She was a docent with the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College, and volunteered for Centra Health at Lynchburg General and Virginia Baptist Hospitals, Meals on Wheels, Lynchburg Public Library, Lynchburg Art Club, and Holy Cross Cemetery. She sang throughout her life, beginning in a children's choir, and later in the Holy Cross Choir and the Jefferson Choral Society. She was a member of the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club Happy Hikers, earning the 88 Miler Award. She was a recipient of the Blackwater Creek Stewardship Award and she also enjoyed gardening, painting, sewing, and creating baby quilts. Charlotte and Bernard traveled to 40 countries in every continent except Antarctica. She shared in living out her husband's motto "Keep Moving!"She leaves to cherish her memory, her six children and their spouses Rebecca (Olivier) Bouygues, Paris, France; Bernard Fletcher (Colleen) Smith, Jr. , Hagerstown, Md. ; Martha (Hank) Rogers, Mt. Pleasant, S. C. ; Liz Smith (John Dudley Barksdale), Rustburg, Va. ; Jennifer (Carter) Nice, New Orleans, La. ; Susannah (Gary) Schlauch, Sacramento, Calif. ; 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. A private family mass and burial will take place at Holy Cross Church and Cemetery. A memorial mass and celebration of Charlotte's Life, will take place in the spring at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Please celebrate Charlotte's life by saying a prayer, taking a child to the library, planting flowers, hiking with a dog in the woods, or breaking bread with family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the Holy Cross Catholic Church Cemetery Fund, 710 Clay St. , Lynchburg, VA 24504, or to the charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the staffs of Ortho Virginia, Centra Health, Heritage Green Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Gentle Shepherd Hospice for their dedication and care during her final year. We are grateful to Virginia Garden Supply for loving care of the cemetery. Heritage Funeral Service and Crematory, (434) 239-2405, is assisting the family. Memories and thoughts may be shared with the family at www. heritagefuneralandcremation. com or sent c/o Liz Smith, 4464 Village Hwy. , Lynchburg, VA 24504.Show more
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