Clifton M. Smith Jr.

Clifton Mack Smith, Jr. son of the late Clifton Mack Smith, Sr. and the late Ida Lee Osborne Smith was born February 16, 1942 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Clifton was educated in the public school system of Wake County North Carolina and in Newark, New Jersey. He graduated from West Side High School. As a teen in high school, he participated in football. Unfortunately during a football game, he broke his collar bone and was unable to pursue his interest in football. He also participated in track and field where they called him “Flash” due his speed. Clifton went to work for Pathmark Corporation and remained there until his retirement in 1999. After a long illness and the passing of his wife Janet, from which union they had one child, Monica Yvette; Clifton was fortunate enough to meet and fall in love with Helena Violet Smith, which out of this union they became the parents of Bryant, Monica and Cicely. For all that knew Clifton it can be truly said that he required respect and gave it too. He was a fair and just man, a true family man who put his family always foremost. He was a faithful and loving husband, father, brother and true friend, who was willing to help whenever he could. These are the traits that we will remember most of Clifton. Clifton was very rarely called Clifton. His wife called him “Smitty”, his sister, unknown to most why, called him “Billy”, and his father called him “Jobo” why we do not know. I guess these different names were how people felt about him and he was fine with all, as, long as you did not call him CLIFFORD. That would drive him crazy. Quote from him “MY NAME IS CLIFTON MACK SMITH, JR.”!!! His immediate family knew he loved his name, because he had his initials on basically everything he owned, his shirts, his car, his license plate, etc. The running joke in the family has been “he cannot get lost, cause his name is on everything. He would laugh at that and say so true. Clifton was called to his heavenly home on March 10, 2017. At the time of his death he was 75 years old. He is survived by his wife Helena Violet Smith, his sister Barbara Victoria Osborne Smith, his son Bryant E. Caldwell, his daughter Monica Yvette Smith-Rivera (son-in-law) Ken Rivera, his daughter Cicely Thornton (son-in-law) Thomas Thornton. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Nina Smith-Rivera, Peyton Cecily Thornton, Tariq Caldwell, Charail Brown, Cynna Cabell, and one great grandchild, and host of other relatives and friends. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Clifton M. Smith Jr., please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

Clifton M. Smith Jr.

October 17, 1941 - March 8, 2017