Charles Edward Smith, Jr.

Charles Edward Smith Jr. of Commack, NY died peacefully on Saturday July 25^th in his home with his family.  Charlie dedicated his life to family, community, God and country. He was most proud of being a Dad.

Born in Glendale, NY on October 17, 1930 to Charles E. Smith Sr. and Rose Kluepfel Smith. Charlie’s career started with a paper route that ran up and down the hills of Glendale. He graduated from Xavier High School and Fordham University and honorably served in the Army during the Korean War as a First Lieutenant. He earned his Masters of Science in Education at University of New Paltz and taught for 36 years at Twin Pines and Pine Park Elementary in Brentwood, NY specializing in 3^rd through 6^th grade.  He continued to study Education beyond the Master’s level at Saint John’s University. After retirement he went back to school and got his Massage Therapy degree at the New York College for Holistic Heath Education and Research that he used to help family and friends.

He loved to travel.  Charlie proudly took his young family camping every summer to many different places on the east coast where they experienced our beautiful country.  These places included historical sites, National Parks, and spring break excursions to Disney World. Most memorably, Charlie took his family on a 2-month cross country trip stopping in as many states as possible. They drove through the desert and over the Rocky Mountains in a 16-foot Tag-A-Long camper. In his retired life he enjoyed world travel to South Africa, Thailand, India, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Poland, Norway, Finland, Japan, and China. While in Germany, Charlie went to his deceased Mother’s home town where he literally knocked on doors until he found his cousin Hugo Kluepfel.  The two cousins even looked alike and started a new friendship.

Charlie was a lector at his Catholic church, Christ the King, and belonged to Teams of Our Lady.  After retirement, Charlie was a Eucharistic minister at Gerwin and joined the church choir.  He loved to sing. He was a proud member of the Twin Shores Barber Shop which brought him to Russia for a Barber Shop cultural exchange concert.

Charlie is survived by his wife Jane Dee, his sisters Rose McMahon and Sr. Regina Roasire OP and his children Kathy Chylinski and husband Marty Cullen; Laurie Gray and husband Gary Gray; Chuck Smith; and Christel Smith-Hozven and husband Cris Hozven, and his 13 grandchildren: Jonathan Chylinski, Logan Gray, Kyle Chylinski, Samantha Hozven, Tyler Gray, Skyler Smith, Spencer Gray, Casey Hozven, Chandler Smith, Fletcher Hozven, Jessie Gray, Sawyer Smith, and Colton Gray.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.