Max Carroll Smith, 77, went to be with his Heavenly Father on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Born in Burke County, he was the son of Gravis Smith and Beulah Hawkins Smith. Carroll was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, although in recent years he attended Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Being second to youngest of seven children, he was big on personality and a bit mischievous. Always fun loving, he was also a kind and gentle soul. Never meeting a stranger, he had many friends and was loved by all.
Carroll was a hard worker and jack-of-all-trades. He retired from the elevator industry. Over the course of his life, he drove long-haul transfer trucks, worked for the NCDOC, operated grading equipment, and installed swimming pools, just to name a few of his occupations.
His greatest accomplishment is the legacy he leaves through the impact he made on his family of which he was so proud. He loved big and will be sorely missed.
Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Nola Wood Smith; children, Tonya Dowdle (John), April Mayfield (Shane), Nicky Shook (Ritchie), and Brian Neaves; grandchildren, Jacob Mayfield (Alex), Landry Harris (Josh), Jared Dowdle (Maddy), Avery Dowdle (Rayanna), Connor Larmore, Victoria Larmore, Kaiya Neaves, Arianna Neaves, Mackenzie Neaves, Olivia Chatman, Cole Chatman, and Ariel Shook; great-grandchildren, Hayden Mayfield, Lindsay Mayfield, Waylon Harris, and Russell Mayfield; sisters, Mattie Poteat, Edith Riles, and Ruth Brittain (Bart), and a number of nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his siblings, Earl Smith, Frances Goins, and Gerald Smith.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, July 11, 2024 at Sossoman Funeral Home. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, July 12, 2024 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home with Rev. Don Denton and Rev. Randy Clark officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.
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RIP to our GREAT Friend.Loved you and will miss you dearly "DAD". Love Leona
Carroll will truly be missed. He was a thoughtful and caring person. He had a warm smile and kind eyes. We are blessed to have had him in our lives.
This world has lost a very good man we need a lot more people like him he will be missed
Sending love and prayers to this family. We will cherish the memories. He will be missed.
Sending love and prayers to Nola and the family. Carroll was a good man and went out of his way to help everyone. He and my dad Ray Denton were good friends and neighbors. He was there to help my mom with anything she needed when my dad passed. His work on earth is done.
I know that I will be saying nothing that all of you will know, but Max Carroll will leave such a large hole in all of our lives. He was a very special, caring man, who genuinely was interested in the people he met, and a Christian man who loved the Lord. I am glad to say he was my friend, even though I we haven't gotten to see much of each other lately.
I am so sorry to hear about Carroll’s passing. I have know Carroll and his family a long time and thought a lot of and respected him. He was a good man.
Dear Nola, Tonya and April and family you all are in our thought and prayers. Thought the years we have all been together so much. Carroll was with us all through thick and thin. He will truly be missed and will forever be in our hearts. We love you all so much. Love, James and Darlene Suttle