Charlene Smith

Charlene Berry Smith passed away in Denver Colorado on May 30, 2011 at the age of 85 with her daughters at her side. She will be missed greatly by her family and friends who loved her dearly. Charlene was born May 26, 1926 in Wichita Falls to Jewel Kirkendall Berry and Charles Martin Berry. Charlene was the third daughter in a family of four girls, Bonnie, Mary Jo, Charlene, and LaMoine. She spent her youth growing up on a farm in Olton Texas from the age of three till High School when the family relocated to Lubbock, TX in 1940. She graduated from Lubbock High School in 1943 and went to work for Standard Oil in New Mexico and later Bakersfield CA. She met Joseph W. Smith Jr. through friends in Dallas, TX and they were married on April 15, 1951 and raised three daughters, Sharon, Shelley, and Holly. Charlene returned to college in 1964 and received a B.A. in English from North Texas State University in 1968. Charlene was a resident of Austin TX for almost 40 years and moved to Denver in 2008 to be cared for by her daughter, Holly, after she developed Alzheimer’s Disease. Charlene was a stay at home mother until she returned to college in 1964. After she graduated she worked at a variety of jobs including administrative assistant for a Planned Parenthood office and at the Texas Capitol for State Representative Buddy Temple. Charlene preferred domestic work over working in offices and chose to work as a nanny and live in care giver to the elderly. For many years she provided love and care to her daughter, Sharon, who had a serious mental illness and Multiple Sclerosis. Over a 20 year span, she lived with and provided care for families and many frail and elderly people during their last years of their lives. She had a great interest in holistic health and natural healing and took pride in cooking organic and healthy meals for herself and those for whom she cared. Charlene was passionate about music, especially gospel and folk songs. She sang and played guitar, autoharp, and piano. She wrote songs and poems that were deeply personal and spiritual. She loved gathering with friends and family to sing and play guitar. Charlene’s formative years on a farm influenced her the rest of her life. She loved nature and being outdoors. One of her favorite things to do was to go for long drives and walks out in nature. Charlene’s spiritual life was very important to her. She attended Unity Church in Austin and derived a great deal of sustenance from her Real Love group. Charlene was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Bonnie and Mary Jo, daughter Sharon Moore, and grandchild Austin Myers. She is survived by her sister LaMoine Greener of Greenville AL, children, Shelley Hughes and husband, William Harold of Austin TX, Holly Myers and partner, Jon Achuff of Wheatridge CO; grandchildren Joshua Hill and wife Madalyn of Pflugerville, TX, Heather Segura and husband Jeff of McKinney, TX, Ben Myers and wife Tracie of Boston MA, Jessica Shill and husband Landon, James, “Jay” Wood and wife Sarah of Severn, Maryland; great grandchildren, Isabella and Zoey Segura, and Colbie Hill, and numerous neices and nephews who loved her very much. The family wishes to thank the doctors and staff with Total Longterm Care, The Argyle, The Court and Spring Ridge Park Assisted Living homes and all the wonderful people who cared for Charlene during her years of living with Alzheimer’s Disease. A celebration of her life was held in a private ceremony on June 3rd in Denver Co. The family invites you to share memories of Charlene in the Memorial Guestbook. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or the National M.S. Society.