Carl P. Smith Jr.

Born a year after VE day in 1946, Carl Phelps Smith, Jr. was a Baby Boomer in multiple senses. His father, Carl Smith, Sr. had served in the Air Force as an aide to General Twining, and Carl Jr. was a lifelong ardent OU Sooner, who unleashed his vocal passion during OU sporting events. This was surprising to witness for many who knew Carl to otherwise be a mild mannered, soft-spoken man.

Carl Jr. was the son of Carl and Naomi (“Nadie”) Smith of Oklahoma City, who had four boys, Carl Jr., Charlie, Walter (Skip), and Clay. The oldest of the four, Carl Jr. grew up in a loving home, playing sports and games with his brothers and friends. Carl J. spent his childhood near and eventually attended Classen High School, where he starred in three sports, football, baseball and basketball. As the quarterback for Classen, he weathered a knee injury to earn All-City honors, as he did as a shortstop in baseball. The Smith brothers of Classen and Northwest Classen would follow suit, forming one of the most decorated athletic families of the era.

Carl attended Central State College and the University of Oklahoma, majoring in business. After graduating, he met the love of his life, Carol Ann Pickens, whom he married in 1974, moving to the longtime family home in West Oklahoma City. Carl worked as a salesman at local sporting goods and later with Cardinal Paper and other paper goods distributors. In his role with Cardinal Paper, as with his character generally, Carl’s genuineness endeared him to customers and co-workers alike.

Although a dedicated salesman, Carl’s true and enduring role was as a husband and father. Carl and Carol would have a son, Carson, in 1977, and a daughter, Caroline, in 1980. Carl would work during the day, come home and promptly devote the rest of his day to family. This often entailed a quick change of clothes for C.h.a.m.p.s. baseball practice for Carson, Oklahoma Kids talent or dance recitals for Caroline, or his carrying out the creative machinations of Carol, such as the backyard Cubs-Cards baseball game birthday party for Carson or the cruise birthday royale for Caroline with Carl as the tux-clad maître-d. The family also took many trips memorable, in part, for Carl’s goofy side and his laughter.

In his later years, Carl worked for his lifelong friend as a utility man for the Hal Smith restaurant group. Though his work life changed through the years, his devotion to family did not. Carl’s unwavering love of his family could be seen recently in his doting on and playing with his five grandchildren, Elias and Ezra Smith, and Blaine, Dashel, and Ladd O’Neal. Carl’s presence and shadowing of the toddlers about the house and town exemplified his love, his understanding of his role, and his single-minded devotion to loved ones.

Carl and Carol were 25 year members of Bethany First Church of the Nazarene.

After suffering from Parkinson’s for much of the last decade, but still at the center of family activities thanks to Carol’s abiding energy and determination, Carl Jr. left this life to be with his Savior on July 28, 2022. His sincerity, pure devotion, and gentle spirit will be greatly missed but is instilled, as his great legacy, in the minds and hearts of his loved ones.

Carl was preceded in death by his father and mother, Carl. Sr. and Naomi Smith. Carl is survived by the other, above noted family, all of Oklahoma City, as well as his great-hearted uncle, Lee Allan Smith, his daughters, DeLee Smith, Jennifer Kiersch, and Wendy House; Carl’s son in law, Kevin O’Neal, husband to Caroline, and daughter in law, Sarah Earley Smith, wife to Carson, all of Oklahoma City, as well as Carol’s sister and brother-in-law Nancy and Mike Berland of Tampa, FL.

A visitation will be held Friday, August 5, 2022 at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., with family present from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Directors with interment following at Rose Hill Burial Park.