Timothy Earl Smith, 69, of Henderson, North Carolina, passed away on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Timothy was born on April 6, 1957 to the late William Sumner and Margaret Brummitt Smith.
Tim was a jack of all trades – a farmer, carpenter, gardener, lab technician at both Mariah Parham and Granville hospitals, choir member, Sunday school teacher, lay leader, member of Plank Chapel United Methodist church, and volunteer to any who needed a helping hand. He was an absolutely voracious reader, owning enough books to nearly stack to heaven and likely having turned more pages in books than miles you can manage to put on ten sets of truck tires.
Tim loved dry humor, exceptionally rare steaks, falling asleep in his recliner, the Rolling Stones, National Geographic magazines, and Fig Newtons. He loved riding a tractor, freshly turned soil, yelling at broken machinery, pecan pie, and navy beans (with hotdogs and a side of fried cornbread) on a cold afternoon. He loved homemade fried chicken, stew of any kind, planting too many cucumbers, and fried okra.
Above all, Tim loved his family, and endlessly supported his wife and daughter with all that his hands could work to provide them with. Tim was their motivator, cheerleader, sometimes antagonizer, and absolute wealth of knowledge. He was a force of strength against incalculable odds and never once bowed his head in failure, relying on his steadfast faith and strong will to turn every page and face what life brought to him next.
Tim is survived by his wife of 36 years, Margaret (Midge) Brame Smith; his daughter, Amy Ward (and son-in-law, Chris); his brothers, Sumner Michael Smith and William Kerry Smith; his sister, Beverly Thompson (Gene); his niece, Shannon Reavis (Brian); his nephew, Matthew Thompson (Shannon B.); two great-nephews, Aiden and Alex; and one great-niece, Kenly; as well as extended family and a wealth of friends who treasured him dearly.
A celebration of life will be held on November 1, 2026, at 1:30pm at Plank Chapel United Methodist Church in Kittrell, North Carolina, followed by a reception where the family will receive friends.