Eustace Henry Smith ’42

Eustace Henry Smith ’42, of Crossnore, N.C., passed away on Apr. 28. He was born a son of the late Rev. Roy Smith (Class of 1910) and Annie Cummins Sloop Smith. Dr. Smith was a graduate of Davidson College and the Medical College of Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII in the South Pacific and was a member of the Medical Corps. He was a long-time member of the Crossnore Presbyterian Church, where he enjoyed singing in the choir and served as an elder. Dr. Smith’s dedication to his medical calling was evidenced by his care of patients in the community for more than 54 years. He also enjoyed spending time with his family, dancing, gardening, and farming. After his retirement, he enjoyed visiting and singing at the local hospital and nursing homes with his son, Jesse. In addition to his many contributions to area health care, Dr. Smith served on the Avery County Board of Education during the school consolidation resulting in the establishment of Avery County High School. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in forming the first Christmas tree growers association in the county. Dr. Smith was a recipient of several prestigious awards including The North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the John W. Kuykendall Award for Community Service given by Davidson College, as well as being honored by a Davidson scholarship fund to encourage students pursuing degrees to become family practitioners. The new Avery County Health Department was named in honor of him and his cousin, Dr. Emma Sloop Fink, with whom he practiced side-by-side for many years. Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his first wife, Virginia Mildred Sutherland Smith; brothers, Roy Nelson Smith ’40 and John Guerrant Smith; and sister, Mary Emma Skinner. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Clotta Parker Smith, P.O. Box 425, Crossnore, NC 28616; daughters, Catherine Smith Hartley and Martha Anne Smith Sharpe ’77 (Leo); sons, Eustace Henry Smith, Jr. (Cynthia) and Jesse Cummins Smith ’76 (Shirley); brothers, William Newton Smith and Rev. Franklin Smith ’49; grandchildren, Sarah Hartley Snow, Joshua Stephen Smith (Alexandria), Sharon Rebecca Smith, Nathaniel Franklin Smith, and Hannah Virginia “Ginny” Smith; and one great-granddaughter, Christina Sutherland Snow. In addition, his many nieces and nephews will also rejoice in the memory of his kind and gentle nature.