Carl T Smith

Carl Truman Smith of Charlotte, N.C., died in the morning of Friday July 4, 2025 at Atrium Health University City.

Carl grew up in Canandaigua, N.Y. as the middle child of his family. As a youth, he loved waterskiing, swimming, boating, and playing tennis and football. He also played the trombone in the school band, sang in the church choir and was a Boy Scout. 

He proudly served his country as a U.S. Marine from 1962-1965, including service in the Vietnam War. He attended and graduated from St. Lawrence University in Watertown, NY.

He spent his adult years in Virginia, where he raised his family and spent weekends driving his children to soccer games, church youth group and many other activities. The family frequently went camping and canoeing, learning a love of nature and the outdoors. Later Carl returned to New York, and then moved to Charlotte NC.

Carl worked as an architect at IBM and designed clean room spaces. However, he was an avid woodworker and spent much of his life working in cabinetry, construction, carpentry and remodeling historic homes. He had a gift of taking an unusual piece of wood and creating something beautiful and useful from it. 

Carl watched the worship services of First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte online and was grateful for this ministry. He loved to sing and was part of the bass section in his college choir as well as several church choirs. When the classical music station observed Bach or Beethoven's birthdays, it made for a happy occasion in his woodshop.

In Carl’s later years, he volunteered at the Mint Hill Historical Museum in Mint Hill, NC where he ran the Woodwright’s Shop. When there were school tours, he taught children about panning for gold, how to hammer nails and use a hand saw to cut wood. 

He took great pride in the events of the museum, always sharing the latest happenings with friends and family.  When the museum received a Chilean Mill stone, he helped facilitate the Timber Framers and Virginia Military Institute cadets to build a shelter covering the mill.

Carl is survived by his three children, David Smith (Kathy) of Lake Wylie, SC, Rev. Sarah Smith Pitts (Myron) of Fayetteville, NC, and Andy Smith (Cressida) of North Pole, AK. In addition, he is survived by ten grandchildren, numerous beloved cousins, sister in law, nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends who are like family.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Carl B. Smith and Helen Laidlaw Smith, as well as his siblings, Cynthia Mulder and Doug Smith.

A service celebrating and remembering Carl’s life will be held at 11:00AM on Friday, September 19, 2025, in The Barn of the Carl J. McEwen Historic Village, Mint Hill Historical Society, 7601 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Mint Hill NC. If possible, attendees are invited to wear plaid, as Carl often sported this look.

In lieu of flowers, any donations may be made to the Mint Hill Historical Society, First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, or the Navy Seals Foundation.

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