Charles E. Smith

Charles Edward Smith, the cherished father of Sheryl and Deborah Smith and the beloved grandfather of Ashley and Arielle Chapin, died peacefully, at home, on Feb 23, 2013. He is also survived by his wife of 35 years, Martha-Jane Claypool, originally of Houston, TX and his brother, Otto D. Smith of Columbus, OH.

Charles was born in Zanesville, OH on Sept. 14, 1920 to Oliver B. and Lillis Geiger Smith, the fourth of 6 brothers and sisters. His family worked as tenant farmers through the depression. Charles, always a good student, was the first in the family to go to college. He earned himself a spot at the U.S. Naval Academy by scoring well on a statewide exam. He graduated in 1942 just as the U.S. entered into World War II. He served for 30 years as a Naval officer. He initially served in the engineering department of the USS New York in the Atlantic theater during World War II, and then as the gunnery officer on the USS Amsterdam of the Pacific fleet until 1947. There followed a brief stint in aviation as a pilot of Corsair VF-41 when he met and married Helen Augustiny, a lieutenant in the Navy serving as a meteorologist.

In the course of his career, he served as executive officer on the USS Bordelon, and as commanding officer on the USS Gainard and the USS Navasota. Other commands include CinCarib, ComFour and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon. He also served on the staff of the Armed Forces Staff College, the Naval War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, as director of the resident school. During his career in the Navy, he was stationed at many military bases throughout the U.S., including Pensacola, FL, Norfolk, VA, Newport, RI, Philadelphia, PA, Long Beach, CA and Arlington, VA as well as various bases in the Panama Canal Zone. Following his retirement from the Navy in 1972, he served as coordinator for the University of Virginia and the FBI Academy until 1988.

Following the sad passing of Helen due to leukemia, he married his second wife, Martha Jane Claypool, of Houston, TX, a retired CIA officer. They led an active life together, with a shared passion for gardening and travel. Following his retirement from UVA, he and Martha Jane traveled extensively throughout the world and were active in social and cultural events in the DC area. They attended the National City Christian Church of Washington D.C. , where for many years, he was a deacon. He also regularly attended and helped to organize the US Naval Academy alumni events for the class of 1942.

He lived a long and full life; he was loved by all and always had a kind word, a smile or a humorous comment, even after he became ill. His children and grand-children gave him great joy. To his family, he was a constant source of love, encouragement and support.

Services will be held on June 11, 2013 at 9:00 AM, Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA. Interment will follow at 11:00, Arlington National Cemetery with military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.