Faye Tate Smith

Faye Tate Smith, age 92 of Forest City died Wednesday, July 6, 2022, following a sudden illness.  Faye was born in Rutherford County on July 2,1930 and was a daughter of the late Thomas Wellington Tate and Marie Watkins Tate. 

Faye was a graduate of Harris High School in the Class of 1948.  Her senior year, she was President of the Senior Class.  For more than thirty years, she served to gather her classmates together for their reunions.  She was also a graduate of Cecil’s Business College. 

She was a longtime and faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Forest City where she was always willing to serve.  Faye has served in the Junior Department, History Committee, Vacation Bible School, and the Bereavement Committee preparing and serving meals to families. 
Faye also was faithful to the Love Circle Sunday School Class where she formerly served as Class President and Secretary and Treasurer and also volunteered one day a week as an assistant to the Pastor.  Faye began her working career with Union Trust Company which later became BB&T where she retired as Head Teller at the downtown branch.

Faye was raised in a large and loving family, and she cared deeply for each of her siblings.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Mills Smith in 2017, her son, Scott Howard Smith, her brothers and sisters, Max W. Tate, Helen Tate McGaha, Jean Tate Thomason, Jimmy Charles Tate, Donald Lee Tate, Ray Patterson Tate, and a sister who died at the age of four, Dorcus Sarah Tate.  

Survivors include her daughter, Susie Smith Justice and her husband Paul of Flat Rock, North Carolina, her sisters, Jolayne Tate Towery and Judy Tate Radford and her husband, Alton all of Forest City, her grandsons, Joshua Justice, and Matthew Justice and his wife LeShea, a great-granddaughter, Kinslee Justice and an expectant great-grandson. There are also a number of nieces and nephews that survive. 

The funeral service will be held at 3 o’clock Monday, July 11, 2022, in the First Baptist Church with the Reverend Dr. Garin Hill officiating.  Interment will follow in the Cool Springs Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 2 until 3 o’clock on Monday in the Family Fellowship Hall prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 211 West Main Street, Forest City, North Carolina 28043.

The Padgett and King Mortuary & Crematory is in charge of arrangements and an online guest registry is available at www.padgettking. com 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.