Loss of a Road Warrior

[2 dogs]

Sixgunners far and wide have lost a friend today. Charlie Smith was known by many US shooters and loved dearly by all. Charlie was known to travel far and wide just to see his friends. He loved to spend time visiting and often endured grueling trips just to be there with us. I was privileged to know Charlie well. I made his "cut" and he took me in as his own. We spoke often, of family and friends, and sometimes when I just didnt know how to think about things I knew I could get sage and wise advice from Charlie. Charlie was more than a mentor to me.

Charlie's pride and joy for his entire life was his family. His best friend was his son Chuck. You can tell alot about a man by his sons and Charlie was made from GRANITE! If you could have ever shook his hand you would know of what I speak. He was always about the truth. He called a spade a spade. And he never flinched. Chuck, my dear friend and brother, has lost his road partner. If you were ever in law enforcement you would know what this means.

Some here say I have a big heart. Well, that may be so, but it is DWARFED by the goodness Charlie carried in his heart. It was the heart of a Lion true enough, but Charlie could soften even those of us who are stubborn and hard hearted at times. He took us in and made us his own and was so proud and happy just be with us. And we with him.

He even kept company with horse thieves. Here I am trying to keep him from taking his cane to Wes Dakota for his foul ways! Seriously, when I broke the news of this loss to Terry this morning at 515am, Terry just couldnt hold back the tears in his heart. Such is the regard we all had for Mr. Charlie.

Charlie Smith was a self made man. He owned and ran his own US based business until he retired. He also carried a badge in his spare time. A real American and certainly not the kind of man this country could afford to lose. All day today, my heart felt as though it was pumping sludge. I am so so sad to make this report I am not sure how much I might have left out. So if you have a nice photo or memory of Charlie, please share it here. But most of all, keep my brother Chuck and his family in your prayers as there is no measure to his grief at this time.

 

[RonEgg]

Fermin, I didn't know Charlie, wish I had. Although I didn't know him, I began to worry about how he was doing as he began to "thin the herd" the last couple months. Wish I could have helped him in that endeavor. He will be missed and his family and you and yours will be in my prayers.

 

[TULLYMARS]

Fermin, so sorry for the lose of your friend Charlie. Sounds like he was the real deal. Prayers sent for Chuck and family.

 

[Fowler]

Fermin,

You have done the Smiths proud with this post, all of the Shootists and shooters of the world have lost a great man and we all will grieve for the mans passing. But he has left a legacy behind him that we all benefit from, this is just a tiny snippet of what this man meant to the Shootist family. He will be missed...

 

[mb111263]

It would be tough to add to what Fermin has already said about Charlie. I can say that he was one helluva character! I first met Charlie, as well as Fermin and Chuck, at the Whittington Center back in 2008. After a week of shooting, eating and BSing together, it was time to say goodbye. We all sat in the cool darkness, and the subject turned to gunleather. Old Charlie spoke, with a good bit of exacerbation, and said "...and I can't see spending almost as much money for a holster as I would for a dad-gum sixgun!" With that he sat back and crossed his arms and stared right at me! We all got a chuckle out of that one for sure!

To Charlie's credit, after acquiring his second TLA Improved No.5, (from Glenn Swaggart I believe), he contacted me and commissioned one of my No.5 holsters, complete with lining and floral carving. Knowing that my gunleather met his standards means a lot to me.

I am proud to have known Charlie and to have his son call me a friend. God bless you, Charlie Smith...and your family also...

 

[2 dogs]

Charlie would toss a "test" like that right at a man just to judge his character. He knew what he was doing too!

 

[Jeff Quinn]

Charlie personified the true meaning of being a Shootist. He was certainly one "to ride the river with."

He was a good man.

Hopefully, today he is playing with Cade.

Jeff

 

[contender]

Gosh, I never met Charlie, yet I have a tear in my eyes. To all of his friends, you have my heartfelt sympathy of your loss.
A true test of a man's character is what the folks around him think of him. Fermins words speak volumes.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family, and the friends.

 

[Boge Quinn]

Truly one of the finest men I have ever been privileged to know - and as a Shootist, I've been privileged to know a good number of fine men!

Thanks, 2Dogs, for the fine tribute. We have surely lost one of our best.

 

[slowpoke]

Gosh, I never met Charlie, yet I have a tear in my eyes. To all of his friends, you have my heartfelt sympathy of your loss.
A true test of a man's character is what the folks around him think of him. Fermins words speak volumes.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family, and the friends.

X2

Well said contender, my thoughts were the same after reading the post.

 

[sixshot]

Charlie Smith was a "mans man". I only met him once at the Holiday but you could tell he had character & was a character, his son Chuck was the same kind of man. I know they were very close & Fermins tribute pretty much sums it up. God bless the Smith family, we all feel the loss.

Dick

 

[Jeff Hoover]

Never met Charlie, but have talked to his son, Chuck alot. Charlie was Chucks Hero, and best friend. In the eyes of a son, what higher praise can be spoken.......Next time you hear a thunderstorm roll in, think of Charlie, Elmer, Skeeter, and all of the other great shooters of our time, and past....for it's not thunder you're hearing, but gunshots from Heaven .

 

[Mark Hargrove]

Charlie was the best of men - I have a tremendous amount of respect for his integrity.

 

[Boge Quinn]

Kyle Gilson and Charlie, taking a break:

Charlie and Chuck on the firing line. Note the cap.

Charlie and Chuck on the firing line - I used this pic of Charlie for the memorial banner I posted on Gunblast yesterday. At the next station are Al "SWEDE" Anderson, wife Lori and daughter Meg. Bill ("Caz") and Kyle Gilson are beyond.

Chuck shares a good laugh with Charlie, as Mike Barranti shows Chuck his unfinished holster, made from the RAREST of leathers! Left to right are our own 2Dogs (who orchestrated the whole affair, and I'll let him tell the tale if he wants to), Mike Barranti (the Ol' Hidestretcher), 2Dogs' son Jake (a finer young man you'll never meet!), Chuck and Charlie Smith.

Godspeed, Charlie. Give Cade a hug for us, say hey to the Shootists who have gone on before, and shake my dad's hand for me. Tell 'em we'll be there soon.



EDIT: I've been listening to Johnny Cash today as I work, and one of his lesser-known songs, "Meet Me In Heaven Someday" came up. I found it on YouTube so I could share it with y'all, video featuring Cash & The Duke. Very fitting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cebJG9ESX-Q

 

[Cannon]

I can't add much to what's been said, and certainly couldn't do it as eloquently.

I first met Mr. Charlie in the Spring of '04 at the CSA shoot in Greenville MS. I remember him handing his one-of-a-kind, ivory-stocked single-six 32-20 to this green kid he didn't know from Adam.

Since them, I've had the pleasure of visiting with him at a number of other CSA shoots, an ill-fated hog hunt, and one Holiday. He will be missed.

 

[2 dogs]

From friend Tony Boggus:

I have memories though that will last forever.
I can still see Charlie's smile after I had just finished shooting 5 rounds of full power 500 Linebaugh long from Cannons gun. I turned around and there was Charlie with a big grin on his face. The look was kind of like that was fun watching you be a dumb kid. LOL
At the various CSA's and Shootist holidays where I saw Charlie he never shot a bunch but seemed to enjoy watching the rest of us shoot. He enjoyed talking. He did call a spade a spade. That is something I respect. Whether you agree'd with him or not you knew where he stood.
I got the greatest gift from Charlie any man could ever give me. A friend.
The world is a lesser place without him.

 

[2 dogs]

From Glenn Swaggart:

Those who met Mr. Charlie all probably remember him the same way as mentioned above. A big smile and welcoming. I've missed seeing him at the last few CSA shoots. I don't have small hands but I remember my hands always seeming small when I would walk up and shake his. Always smiling while we would sit on/near the truck swapping stories while others were shooting. He showed that he had great patience by tolerating me and my endless stories

I remember the first time I ever heard Mr. Charlie's name mentioned. It was about 10 years or so ago when I first got out of college. I went to work with the DEQ in MS and started working with two men there that were avid shooters. Neither were what I would call recoil sensitive. They made a trip down to see Mr. Charlie because they wanted to shoot the 500 Linebaugh that he had. This one wasn't a maxi, just a standard 500. Dewayne shot the gun and made the comment that he thought the recoil would have been a little more than that and it surprised him. Well, Mr. Charlie figured that Dewayne needed a little more before he went home. After lunch he went to the loading bench and loaded up a real round, I imagine it as what I now call the Al Anderson load or something of the like. Dewayne knew it was going to be a good one but still didn't hold it quite well enough. During this volley with the 500, one of his fingers decided to break. He still has a slightly crooked finger from that first dance with the 500 and Mr. Charlie's attention getter loads. That story still cracks me up when Dewayne tells it. Mr. Charlie told me his version years later and we both laughed pretty hard at Dewayne's expense. I also know that Dewayne has never commented on anyone's sixgun to the effect that he thought it would "kick" more.

Prayers for Mrs. Pat and Chuck that the Lord will help hold you up at this tough time. I was blessed to spend the time that I did with him and I look forward to sitting and laughing with Mr. Charlie again soon.

 

[Zeus]

Here is a picture of Mr. Charlie purchasing raffle tickets to benefit one of Brother Jim's mission trips to Mozambique. And of course, you can see Brother Jim and Mrs. Twyla in the picture also

 

[WIL TERRY]

I met Charlie Smith a bit over ten years ago, but I have known him all my life. Men like him have been part'n'parcel of my life forever. I always preferred the company of older men who'd been there done that. There was always much to learn about the importent things in life, like rifles.....or sixguns.....shotguns now 'n' again too. Most folks do not know that Charile was a long time high grade trap shooter. Now though, when we met every year it was to shoot pistols, both revolving and the other kind, and also to see who had the nicest new Marlin Mountie to shoot. He and I always thought the Marlin Model 39CL was nothing but a really high grade Mountie, and that is mighty danged HIGH GRADE indeed.
And now I realize the phone will no longer ring with that 985 number in mid afternoon while Charlie waited to pick up his grandson at school. We would talk about everything, solved half the worlds problems and had some good laughs [ "...gotta go now the boy's here..." ] The very thought of it just breaks my heart. I use to be a tough sumbiscuit but now I just sit and bawl as all the men I hold dearest above ALL others , THE SHOOTISTS, are called home by the LORD. I do find great comfort in knowing the reunion in Heavon with Charlie and his Grandson Cade was a joyful one and now Charlie knows the answer to the question we all asked back when , why was Cade called home so young; CHarlie now knows why !!! We'll all find the answer to ALL such questions in short order as there are no unanswered questions in heaven.

 

[2 dogs]

From one of Charlie and Chucks closest friends, John K.

Last visit with Charlie.
Back around the first of December, Jimmy and I drove out and visited Chuck and Charlie. Charlie was selling his Dillon 550s and transitioning to the RCBS Pro 2000 system with auto index and since I had purchased his Dillon equipment, a trip was scheduled.

After we arrived around noon, Charlie, Jimmy and I had lunch and as was customary, Charlie and I argued over whether or not I was going to pay for lunch. As usual, I lost.

That afternoon was spent in Charlie's shop packing up Dillon equipment and helping him set up his RCBS machines. We also sorted brass and generally had a great time plundering around looking at all the neat stuff Charlie had lying around. Charlie got a big kick out of the birthday present I brought for his grandson Charlie - a big box of my company's product. LOL!

That evening, Charlie and Pat treated Jimmy and I to dinner at an excellent restaurant where Jimmy ate about 5lbs of fried pickles. Again, Charlie and I argued over the tab. Again, I lost. A few times, when we were attending some shoot or other, I have snuck to the cash register and bought Charlie's meal. Seemed a major accomplishment to pay him back in a small way, at least. I always felt like I owed Charlie for all the things he did, but I don't believe he ever felt like I owed him anything. He was a generous man, and never expected anything in return. After our meal, Pat returned home and Charlie, Jimmy, and I retired to my motel room and proceeded to just visit. Chuck arrived and the four of us talked and laughed until Charlie finally left around 11:30pm. Never had Charlie stayed up that late visiting with us. As usual, though, Chuck, Jimmy, and I stayed up until 2am.

We had a plan to meet Chuck at Charlie's the next morning at 8am to finish loading up the Dillon equipment so Jimmy and I could get an early start home. After loading the Dillon stuff, Charlie proceeded to load up up with 38 wadcutters and various other reloading stuff that "he didn't need". We went inside to visit with Pat before leaving, yet ended up visiting and telling stories until after lunch! It was grand.

We hated to leave and Chuck, Charlie, and Pat invited us back to hopefully stay longer. We certainly agreed.

I am so glad I got to visit with Charlie this one last time. His passing left a large hole.

John K.