Charles "Waidley" (also known as Waid) Smith Jr., 80 of Bethlehem, passed away following a brief illness on Friday, April 26, 2024, in St. Luke's Hospital, Fountain Hill. Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. he was a son of Charles Waidley Smith and Ada Piper Smith and attended Centerville Elementary School and later graduated from Big Spring High School in 1961.

Remaining in the Cumberland Valley, he attended Shippensburg University while commuting from home to school on a daily basis and working during the summer to pay his tuition and extra expenses. As an undergraduate, he majored in history and social science, but later returned to Shippensburg where he took courses toward teacher certification in English. While in this program, he accumulated enough credits for an English major and later continued in a Master's Program in English, receiving an MEd in 1971.

After teaching a number of years, first in the Cumberland Valley School District and later in the Southern Lehigh School District, he had the opportunity to take a leave of absence during which time he enrolled in a graduate program at Lehigh University in pursuit of his PhD in English. It was while taking a graduate-level course in Modem Drama that he discovered the topic that led to an in-depth study of Tennessee Williams' s " Sweet Bird of Youth." He continued to teach in the Southern Lehigh School District where he taught both social studies and English until retiring.

Charles was a parishioner of Cathedral Church of The Nativity, Bethlehem.

Survivors: He is survived by a brother, James "Randy" Smith and his wife Debra of Newville and several nieces and nephews as well as several first cousins. He was also preceded in death by a brother, John
J. Smith.

Services: Services will be at the convenience of the family. Arrangements entrusted to James Funeral Home, Bethlehem. Contributions: In lieu of flowers, contributions to the S. P. C. A. or to the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Waid's memory would be appreciated.