Obituary of Mildred Charlotte Smithmier

Mildred “Charlotte” Carroll Smithmier passed away peacefully in her home in Port Charlotte, FL on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. She was 91 years old. Charlotte was born on July 27, 1930 to Walter and Verlyn Carroll of Decatur, GA. She was the youngest of four children. Both of her parents had passed away by the time she was 13 years old. She left Decatur and moved to live with her aunt in Houston, TX, but soon came back to GA to be raised by her aunt in Avondale Estates, GA and finished school in Decatur. After high school, she went on to college in Athens, GA and then on to became the first chief stewardess for Southern Airways. Charlotte met her husband, Claude Smithmier of Memphis, TN, and had three children, Claudia Smithmier, Linda Filandrinos and then Walter Lawrence who died at birth. They lived in Houston until her husband was called into the ministry and then moved back to GA so he could attend Emory University after graduating from Memphis State. Charlotte learned at a young age what humor could do for her. Aunt Jim, who she was raised by, and others in the Carroll family just had a wit in them that was passed on. So, Charlotte was not a typical preachers wife but she handled it gracefully with humor. She enjoyed singing in the choir, attending retreats and providing skits for entertainment but, mostly, she gave her time to visiting shut-ins and helping with the elderly and those in need. Claude and Charlotte served churches in Tennessee and North Georgia in the United Methodist Church and retired in Canton, GA. Charlotte, along with her daughters moved to Florida in September of 2020, after her husbands death in 2017. Charlotte is preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Verlyn Carroll, two brothers, Jake Carroll of Albuquerque, NM and Gene Carroll of Stone Mountain, GA and her loving husband, Claude Smithmier. She is survived by her daughters, Claudia Smithmier and Linda Filandrinos; three grandchildren, Chris Wingo (Oregon), Matthew Roach (Arizona) and Tessa Smithmier (Georgia); one great-grandchild; one sister, Betty Murdock (Ed) of Houston, TX; one sister-in-law, Marion Carroll of Georgia and numerous nieces and nephews. There will be a private family service in Florida. We will bring her home to Decatur, GA to her final resting place in the future. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or a charity of your choice.