Charles Melvin Smith of Chelsea, age 87, died Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at Saline Evangelical Home.
He was born April 18, 1929 in Chillicothe, Missouri, the son of Elmer Louis and Lucy Ann (Sharp) Smith.
At the age of 16, Charles left school to become a chef for the Coast Guard on the Great Lakes. He was an Auxiliary Police Officer for the City of Wayne. He began his career with Ford Motor Company in 1953 and retired after 36 years as a Mechanical Engineer. After retirement, he and his wife, Julia, moved to Lake Leelanau, enjoying 20 years of boating, fishing and hunting. Charles was a member of the Cedar Chamber of Commerce doing volunteer work, especially helping with the Polka Festival.
Memorial services will be held Monday, 10:30 a.m. at Silver Maples, with Rev. Kathy Schell officiating. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service.
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