Charla James Smith

Charla James Smith was born August 29, 1948, in Quanah, TX, to parents Milton Edward & Vivian Odella (Mefford) James. She passed from this life to the next early on the morning of July 11, 2016 while at home in Edmond, OK and surrounded by the love and prayers of her family.

She was raised in a farm family of meager means in the southwest corner of Oklahoma. Her labor in the fields and in the home as a young girl, especially assuming her mother's role after an early death, greatly prepared her for the selfless determination and resiliency that would define her life and the lives of so many around her. A graduate of Gould High School and later in life from Central State University (UCO), Charla worked as Program Administrator for the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority for over 30 years. Charla's most significant role in life was that of wife, sister, mother and grandmother. Having been married and widowed three times...she was "the rock" of a large extended and combined family. Over the years, her homes in Yukon and Edmond were always the center of gravity for the family and her migration across southwest and central Oklahoma was closely matched by siblings and their families, longing to stay close. She enjoyed organizing and hosting family meals, outings, and celebrations above all else. She was a great provider, comforter, advisor, lover and genuine friend to far too many people to list. In short, she was a giant in this life. Her parting will leave an irreplaceable void in the hearts of all who knew her.

Charla was preceded in death her parents; three husbands: John Austin Litchfield, James Thomas Wood, and Alfred W. K. Smith; and two grandsons, Gabriel Alexander Litchfield and Ryan Mitchell Wood. She is survived by her son John Derick Litchfield, grandchildren Mikhael and Dominique Litchfield, two brothers, two sisters, eight step-children and twelve step-grandchildren. Additionally, she touched the lives of countless cousins, in-laws, and friends.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 9am to 1pm (open casket) and 1pm to 8pm (closed casket) at Baggerley in Edmond. Funeral services will be 2pm, Thursday, July 14, in the chapel at Crossings Community Church in OKC with interment to follow at Yukon Cemetery.