Mr. Chism “Chisy” Smith Jr. of Gallatin and longtime Carthage resident died at the age of 68 at 1:57 p.m. Wednesday afternoon February 2, 2022 at the Waters in Gallatin where he had resided only since January 28th suffering from atherosclerotic heart disease.
Eld. Stephen Brooks officiated at the 1 p.m. graveside services on Tuesday afternoon February 8th. Burial followed in section six of the Ridgewood Cemetery in Carthage.
One of two children and the only son of the late Horace Chism Smith Sr. who died October 19, 1967 at the age of 49 and the late Jewel Lee Halfacre Smith who died August 1, 2002 at the age of 73, he was born Horace Chism Smith Jr. in Carthage on February 12, 1953.
Majoring in business education and science, Mr. Smith was a member of the 1971 graduating class at the Smith County High School. There he was a member of the pep club all four years, a member of the Spanish club, Speech club and the junior play cast, and came out for football his junior year. The statement made about him in the 1971 senior annual was: “What should a man do but be merry”.
Following graduation from high school he joined the U. S. Navy and served our country during the Vietnam War before being honorably discharged.
Anyone that ever met Chisy immediately knew he was in a state of perpetual happiness.
At the Hendersonville home of Mr. Smith’s sister on June 28, 2001 he was united in marriage to Greenfield, Tennessee native, the former Ruth Ann Vermillion who preceded him in death at the age of 63 on December 15, 2017 following a little over sixteen years of marriage.
Mr. Smith was a retired tow motor operator at the former Toshiba Corporation in Lebanon.
Mr. Smith’s father was co-owner of the Rankin-Smith Construction Company of Carthage with the late Justine Maggart Rankin.
He was of the Nazarene faith.
His only immediate survivor is his sister, Charlotte Thayer Smith Whittaker of Hendersonville.
