Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Hello my name is Bruce Kelderhouse and I am Charlie Smith’s son in law. I’ve known Charlie for almost 40 years; He was a mentor to me over the years and I will be forever grateful for his wisdom and advice, especially with my garden.
The first time I met Charlie was when I was invited to his house by my then girlfriend and now wife Leigh Smith. When I arrived at the Smith house Charlie wasn’t home and Bernice was in the kitchen frying up a steak in a pan on the stove, I later learned that frying steak was a Pennsylvania thing and for Charlie the more well done the better.
Leigh and I were sitting on the couch when Charlie finally came home, he opened the front door and came in with a big smile on his face, I thought he was happy to see me but Leigh said the smile was because he had been hanging out with the Boys from the firehouse for a few.
For those that don’t know, the Smith’s front door is an old style split barn door with two locks and to open the locks without any noise is impossible I was told that was Charlie’s way of knowing when his kids came home late.. I later learned this, as I was trying to sneak out of the house in the morning.
When dinner was ready we headed to the dining room table for my first fried steak and proceeded to watch Charlie chase his steak around the plate. Everybody laughed and Charlie again had that big old smile on his face.
On another visit I heard a loud noise from the dining room and was told this was the alarm from the fire house telling the firemen to respond to a call. I don’t think I ever saw Charlie not respond, even at 2 or 3 in the morning. He would get up and you would hear him come down the stairs, they make allot of noise those stairs,
This again was another way Charlie knew his kids were coming home too late.
Leigh and I got married and we raised two wonderful sons and we took allot of vacations with Charlie, Bernice and my mother always enjoying our time together. It was during these trips and visits to our house, or the Smith’s house that Charlie and I would enjoy a few glasses of scotch towards the end of the day. We would sit back and sip on our drinks and he would tell me stories of growing up in, the steel country of Pennsylvania.
His father was a supervisor at a mill and he made Charlie work there, bring water to the men. He would tell me how hot the mill was. I think those early years made him realize it wasn’t the life for him.
He would talk about going on hunting trips with his father and how cold it was and his father would say to him, “Shut up boy; stop complaining you will scare away the deer”. I don’t think Charlie every killed a deer.
Another story he told me was about his move to long Island and how he applied for a job at the Bayshore School District. One of the requirements was he had to get a physical with the local Doctor by the name of Quackinbush. Well it turns out the superintendent of schools and the Dr. we’re going to play a trick on Charlie. When Charlie went back to get the results of the physical he was told there was a problem for which Charlie almost feel off his chair, Dr Quackinbush came clean and said it was only a joke everything was good and the school was going to higher him. At this point Dr Quackinbush pulled out a bottle of scotch to toast one with Charlie.
We use to sit for hours talking and I would ask, Charlie if he wanted one more scotch and he would always say no, I better not, at which point I would say ok, I’m going to have one.
With that he would say, ok you twisted my arm. This drink would lead to more stories and sometimes a third scotch.
I could keep telling you more stories about Charlie, but I’m sure that allot of you have heard them.
In closing; Charles Smith was a good man, working hard to support his family, never worrying about himself, always worrying about others. A good; husband, father and grandfather. A good friend to many.
Always willing to get up at any time to respond to an alarm knowing that there was something he could do to help out.
He spent 30 years teaching shop in the Bayshore school system and I think everyone in the school had to make one of those, as Leigh would say, those stupid wooden stools.
He was a member for over 50 years in the Bayshore Fire Department and in his later years would respond even if it was only to direct traffic.
I will miss our time together and I will surely miss Charlie Smith,
Thank You
