Harold Wesley Smith

Aug. 6, 1948 - Feb. 1, 2025

Published 2:59 pm Tuesday, February 4, 2025

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Harold Wesley Smith peacefully passed away at the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Center on February 1, 2025. Born on August 6, 1948, the oldest of Harold and Shirley’s three children, Wes grew up in Washington, NC along with his younger sister and brother, Joan and Mark; all of whom were part of a loving and exuberant extended family… aunts, uncles and cousins. No doubt this environment helped mold Wes into the creative, adventurous, and welcoming person we all loved.

Wes proudly served his country in the US Navy until diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease resulting in an early honorable discharge. A challenge certainly, but one he overcame and never looked back. Working on his grandfather’s tobacco farm as a teenager during summers gave him a deep sense of responsibility and desire to learn and explore life’s opportunities. Even then Wes was known to focus on solutions regardless of the circumstances, often repairing equipment and helping with construction projects large and small. Much later, neighbors in Cary and Wilmington would often ask Lindsay, his loving wife, “if they could borrow Wes,” having confidence he could solve their various home improvement problems.

Wes graduated from Washington High School, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from East Carolina University and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from NC State University. His career spanned 31 years working for SAS in Cary, N.C. as a Program Manager in Engineering and Analytics Development.

Wes and Lindsay first met as teenagers and then reacquainted in 1986. They have been married for 37 years. They raised two sons, Hatcher Rosebrock of Santa Fe, NM and Harrison Smith of Apex, NC. Considering Wes’s penchant for adventure, he was very active in the Boy Scouts serving in many leadership roles including Assistant Scoutmaster where he was awarded the Wood Badge in recognition of his dedicated service. He and Lindsay were proud and avid supporters of the boys’ efforts as they both achieved the rank of Eagle, the highest honor a Scout can receive. Wes was an ever-present hands-on dad, always leaning in to help Lindsay and the boys.

Road and mountain biking also became a strong focus for the boys with Wes right beside them in numerous long-distance rides and charitable fund-raising events. Wes’s talent as a guitarist, and as a member of several bands, naturally, led to the boys’ interest in music and guitars. If you peeked into Wes’s garage you would see something like a cross between a REI Store, a Sound Warehouse and a Boy Scout Camporee.

Wes was most proud of transforming he and Lindsay’s yard into a remarkable display of flowers, shrubs, stonework and paths. He and Lindsay could always be found with shovels in hand along with lists of creative projects and ideas. They always worked as a loving team pursuing their gardening goals.

Wes was an unforgettable man with a legacy of service to others and a deep enthusiasm for life. He will be deeply missed, leaving behind his beloved family and friends. He is survived by his mother, Shirley Toler Smith, of Washington, NC; his wife, Lindsay Smith; two sons, Hatcher Rosebrock and his wife Jo Ann and two grandsons, Barrett and Boden Rosebrock of Santa Fe, NM and Harrison Smith and his wife, Kendra, of Apex; two siblings, Joan Smith Boyles and her husband, Randy, of Advance, NC; and Mark Smith and his fiancée Margaret Blandford of Washington, NC; two brothers-in-law, Samuel Hatcher and his wife, Carol, of Matthews, NC; and John Hatcher and his wife, Pat, of Wilmington; and one sister-in-law, Lorraine Mason and her husband, Jon of Wilmington. Wes was predeceased by his father, Harold Medford Smith, who passed away in 1990.

A Celebration of Life service will be at 2:00 PM, Friday, February 7, 2025 at Kenan Chapel located at Landfall, 510 Arboretum Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in Wes’s memory may be made to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare HERE or Debra of America HERE, which is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) through innovative research for treatment and a cure.

The family is deeply grateful for the care and kindness shown by the nurses and doctors at Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Dr. Christopher Pizzola at the Novant Zimmer Cancer Center Institute, Dr. Thomas Lee at Novant Health New Hanover Primary Care, Dr. Michael Morse at Duke University Medical Center, Oncology and Dr. Sona Sharma at Duke University Medical Center, Endocrinology. Also, heartfelt gratitude to our Hospice RN, Beth Burgess, Health Aide, Kathy Jones, along with the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Center staff for all the tender loving care they provided. Thank you also to the many dear family and friends who supported Wes and his family throughout this challenging journey. Wes felt the love from everyone.

Please leave memories and condolences for Wes’s family under “Share a Memory” at https://www.wilmingtoncares.com/obituaries/Harold-Wesley-Smith?obId=35193394.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to Wilmington Funeral & Cremation – Wilmington Chapel, 1535 S. 41st Street Wilmington, NC 28403, (910) 791-9099.