By Staff
Mr. Octavis Smith Jr., 86, of 509 Monroe St., Plymouth, died Friday, April 4, 2008, at Beaufort County Hospital in Washington.
A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday in First Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Roper, with the Rev. Wade Patrick officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Mr. Smith was born in Plymouth on Nov. 28, 1921. He was the son of the late Octavis Smith Sr. and Annie Chance SmithLanier. He served in the Army from Sept. 10, 1942 to Nov. 24, 1945, earning the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, two Bronze Service Stars and a World War II Victory Medal. He was married to Geneva G. Smith, who survives. He worked at Weyerhaeuser Paper Co. for 30 years until his retirement. He was a member of First Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Roper.
Survivors include three sons, William Tarkenton of Pelam, N.Y., Gregory Smith of the home and Ortega Smith of Wake Forest; three daughters, Freda Worsley of Plymouth, Darlene Smith of Raleigh and Denise Dobbin of Clayton; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and three sisters, Minnie Lee “Annie” Lanier, Mattie Elizabeth “Lip” Garrett and Arnita “Neet” Cooper.
He was preceded in death by three brothers.
The family will receive friends today from 7-8 p.m. at Puckett-Purkett Funeral Service, Roper.