Fred Smalls

Fred Smalls, son of the late Edward Smalls and Christina White Smalls, was born in Charleston, SC on October 3, 1927. He departed this life on Monday, March 24, 2014. Fred received his education in the public schools of Charleston County, SC. He was married twice; he and his first wife, Evelyn were blessed with two children, Bernard and Geraldine. Fred later married Roberta Essex on October 24, 1963 and was blessed with two children, Reginald and Shaun, and was guardian to grandson, Reggie Jr. Shaun preceded Fred in death. Fred enlisted in the US Army on two different occasions, in 1946 and again in 1951, from which he received honorable discharges after serving each tour of duty. After serving his country, he relocated to the city of New York where he occupied several different positions and worked very hard to earn a decent living for his family. One of his more colorful occupations was that of a New York City taxi cab driver. Fred later was employed by Hasko Utilities Co. as an oil burner mechanic. He was a loyal and dedicated employee and was very much respected for his hard work by his managers and co-workers. Soon after he retired from Hasko, he and Roberta relocated to Jacksonville, NC in 1994. They joined First Christian Church and were also active with the senior citizen outreach program. God blessed them with many endearing friends and acquaintances, with special mention of Janna and Al Martin. Fred was especially fond of his nine grandchildren but unfortunately he did not get to know some of them nor did he get to know his more recently born three great grandchildren due to distance and his illness. Fred’s only sister, Eleanor Jones, and his nephews, Timothy and Paul Jones (tiny), always had a special place in his heart. Fred was preceded in passing by his two older brothers, Edward and Benjamin Smalls. Some  of Fred’s favorite things to do were watching westerns and baseball on TV and listening to classical music. He loved all kinds of gadgets and was often looking through mail order catalogs for the latest tools. His cars were also prize possessions and he took very good care of the ones he was fortunate to own. God’s plan of salvation was presented and explained to Fred and he willingly received that precious gift a few years before his illness. Fred had a wide, wonderful smile and was a good provider. He will surely be missed by his loving wife of 50 years, Roberta, and a host of relatives and friends.