Charles (Charlie) was born in Bluefield, West Virginia, on November 8, 1939. He was raised in Bramwell, West Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Charlie was the beloved husband for more than 50 years of Audrey Smith, the devoted father of Steven Smith and his wife Alison, of Pompton Plains, N.J., Rhonda Smith and her significant other, Jamie Plante, of North Kingstown, R.I. He was the proud granddaddy of Zachary Smith, Benjamin Smith, and Macayla Plante. He also leaves his many “Kinney” friends around the country and his good friends on Cape Cod.
Charlie had an illustrious career in the footwear business. Charlie was known as “Chuck” to his colleagues at the Kinney Shoe Corporation in New York City, where he was an executive for 20 years. As Vice-President and General Manager of the company, Chuck played a major role in the company’s rise to prominence and success. Following his Kinney career, Chuck took his expertise to the Thom McAn company as a corporate manager, followed by operating and owning his own footwear retail business, “New England Shoe.”
Following his career, Charlie retired to his beloved Cape Cod. His mantra was, “If you can’t get what you need in Orleans, you don’t need it!” Charlie made an occasional exception and left the Cape for vacation trips and cruises with Audrey. In addition to serving as a volunteer for the Lower Cape Outreach Hope Chest in Orleans and a volunteer driver for Nauset Neighbors, he also enjoyed spending time gardening, time with family and friends, reading, rooting for the Red Sox and Patriots, and feeding his birds. He became an accomplished “birder”, with an ability to quickly identify the many species that flocked to his multiple feeders.
A special thank you to our friends at Brewster Baptist Church and Epoch Rehab Center in Brewster, MA for their loving care and support. A memorial service will be held at Brewster Baptist Church, 1848 Main Street, Brewster, MA, on September 14, at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charles’ name to Brewster Baptist Church’s Memorial Fund.
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