Charles Charley Smith , September 11, 1957 — September 25, 2018

Charles ‘Charley’ Pennington Smith, 61, of Harbor Springs, died unexpectedly September 25, 2018. Charley was born September 11, 1957, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the youngest child of Earl Lindley Smith and Evelyn Pennington Smith. He graduated from Wayne High School and attended the Fort Wayne Art School.

Charley had a great appreciation for nature and enjoyed camping, hiking and snowshoeing. He was an accomplished artist, and his whimsical drawings delighted his family and friends. He wrote poetry, songs and fiction.

But his greatest love was making music. Since moving to northern Michigan in the 1970s, Charley was a fixture in the musical community. He was a member of numerous bands over the years including Bumpus Hound, Spike and the Heels, Blue Rider, The Sun Dogs, Smith and Puroll, and most recently, C2 (Charlie Squared) and Charlie’s Root Fusion.

Highlights for Charley in the past year included playing with CRF at the Castle Farms Centennial Celebration and opening for Grand Funk Railroad at the Charlevoix Venetian Festival. Charley is survived by his beloved daughter, Ashley Jo Smith of Boyne City, and a granddaughter, Lily Aurora Howie, who was his special delight. He is also survived by brothers Earl Lawrence Smith of Barnesville, Ohio; David (Elizabeth) Smith and Tim (Jullie) Smith of Fort Wayne; and sisters Cyndi (Rick) Malecki of Fort Wayne and Beth Strawbridge of Charlevoix, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins who will miss his good nature and wonderful sense of humor.

Charley was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Natalie Marie Smith. A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, October 6, at The First Congregational Church, 101 State Street, Charlevoix, with a gathering of family and friends beginning at 1:00 PM. The Rev.

Gretchen Schneider, a life-long friend, will officiate.

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