Charlotte R. Smith

Greenville, SC

Professor Charlotte Reed Smith, 94, widow of W. Lindsay Smith, III, and former chairman of the Music Department at Furman University, passed away on September 9, 2015.

Born in Eubank, Kentucky and raised in Social Circle, Georgia, she was the youngest of the five children of Joseph Lumpkin Reed and Elisabeth Spenser Reed.

After entering college at age 16, she was educated at Tift College, the Eastman School of Music, and the Juilliard School. Her field was music theory, and her passion was leading students to know and understand the materials of music.

After beginning her teaching career at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, she joined the music faculty of Furman University in 1948 and remained at Furman until her retirement in 1992 after serving her final five years as chairman of the Music Department. In 1974 she received the Alester G. Furman, Jr. and Janie Earle Furman award for meritorious teaching.

She was awarded a grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1979 to pursue research in Renaissance music at Brandeis University. Her resulting edition of the choral setting of “The Seven Penitential Psalms” by Orlando di Lasso was published by the University of Delaware Press in 1983, and was based largely on her research of the original 1554 manuscript housed in the Staatsbibliotek in Munich, Germany.

In 1989, her book, “Manual of Sixteenth Century Contrapuntal Styles”, was published by the University of Delaware Press. During her career, she was listed in various national and international musical biographical publications, including International Who’s Who in Music. Perhaps the greatest joys of Charlotte’s life were the students in whom she recognized special talent and fostered a lifelong love of music.

Among her many students with whom she maintained warm lifelong relationships were Keith Lockhart (principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra and the BBC Symphony) and Dr. Robert Blocker (Dean of the School of Music at Yale University).

She was a member of First Baptist Church, the Fidelis Sunday School Class, and the Rotary Book Club of Greenville

Charlotte was predeceased by her husband, W. Lindsay Smith, III, and is survived by her son, W. Lindsay Smith, IV and his wife Julie S. Smith of Greenville, her daughter Elizabeth Reed Smith and her husband Harlan Smith of Huntington, WV, and her grandsons Alan E. Smith of Denver, CO, and Ellison S. Smith of Greenville.

A memorial service will be conducted at First Baptist Church of Greenville, 847 Cleveland Street (Dr. Baxter Wynn presiding) on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.

The family will receive friends and colleagues at the home of son W. Lindsay Smith immediately following the service.

A private burial will be conducted at Springwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her honor may be made to the Department of Music, Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC 29613.