Carlyle Smith enjoyed life

NORWALK — He was a friend to many. He loved coaching. He loved singing. Carlyle Smith loved life. Smith, 70, of Sandusky, passed away on Sunday at Stein Hospice in Sandusky. He was born in Fort Riley, Kan., and was a resident of Sandusky for the past two years after moving from Norwalk. He was a former chemist for NASA and worked as a musician playing acoustic guitar until recently. Carlyle enjoyed coaching and playing and writing music. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Dawn; daughter, Janette Smith of Marion; five grandchildren, Nicholas, Alexandrea, Kaitlyn, Chloe, and Silas; brother, John (Tina) Smith of Monroeville; two sisters, Cindy (Bill) Allen of Norwalk and Jan (Dale) Perkins of Norwalk; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey, in 2022; and parents, Bernard and Marilyn Smith. "I asked him 'What was your favorite song?'" Dawn said. "The ones that gave me the most tips," he told me. We met through karaoke. "One of the nurses asked him who his favorite singer was and he said 'me.'" Smith played his music at bar and events around the area. He also loved to coach — especially baseball. "I can't imagine how many boys he coaches over the years," Dawn said. "He touched a lot of kids' lives." Smith coached at Norwalk, Buckeye Central, Brookside, Margaretta, Monroeville, Willard, Plymouth. Smith turned 70 in August, when he had a triple bypass surgery. "His heart was great ... it was just his mind," Dawn said. "He had dementia. His son passed away on Jan. 17 of this year. He (his son) had COVID and other health issues. "That was really hard. He was at that stage of confusion and it was really hard on him." Longtime Norwalk High School baseball coach Wes Douglas has a lot of fond memories of Smith. "He volunteered on our staff for a number of years," Douglas said. "He was our pitching coach at the junior varsity level. He enjoyed the game and he enjoyed working with the kids. I know he coached football a couple of years as well. "Carlyle had a lot of stories and he was a positive influence on a lot of lives," he added. "He had a heart of gold. He had a passion, especially for baseball. He was an old-school baseball guys. He will be missed. " The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Bogner Family Funeral Home, located at 36625 Center Ridge Road in North Ridgeville. Carlyle's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with Pastor Harvey Studer officiating. Burial will follow at Ridge Hill Memorial Park, Amherst.