LARRY MASON SMITHEY, 74, of Wake Forest, NC transitioned from this life Thursday, December 8, 2022. A graveside service will be held 1:00pm, Saturday, Dec 17, 2022 at Raleigh Memorial Park at 7501 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27612. Larry, son of Mason Smithey & Mabel Claire Smithey, was born at the old Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC on February 27, 1948. Larry graduated from Cary High School in 1967 & then served in the US Navy from 1967-1968. He then attended non degree drafting classes at NC State which he utilized during his HVAC career. He went on to own two local businesses; Electro-Mechanical Services, which primarily focused on evaluation & installation of residential & commercial heat & AC systems and Executive Transport Services, a concierge pilot service that utilized his twin engine Aero Commander 680 for private transportation of guests to business & vacation destinations.
The first thing that most people ever notice & will never forget is Larry’s unmistakable & distinctive hyena laugh. Especially when he was laughing at his own jokes. Although his laugh was quite strange & eerily loud, it resonated in every room he was in & had it’s own degree of infectious inescapability. At his core, he was a people person & loved to be with & spend time with his people. He was also loyal to a fault & still had lifelong friends that still came to visit him often when they were in town. He was quite the character & always tried to be a positive influence on others in his life. But if you ask anyone what defined Larry, it was being a pilot & flying every chance he could get. So much so, that he had already achieved his childhood dream of becoming a pilot before he graduated high school. His passion for flying continued throughout his life as he flew his own plane & even built two just because he wanted to. If you’re doing the math about right now, yes, you are correct, that means he spent 60 years flying! He was a good friend to many & left an indelible place in many hearts. He will be very much missed……especially that one of a kind laugh.
Larry is predeceased by his parents, Mason Smithey and Mabel Claire Smithey, and by his two siblings, Claude Andrew Smithey and Janice Claire Smithey.
Larry is survived by his devoted daughter, BJ Judge, son-in-law, Anthony Judge, and his grandson, Jacob.
Arrangements are entrusted to Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, 211 W. Third Street, Wendell, NC 27591. In lieu of flowers, BJ has requested that donations may be sent to Transitions Lifecare in Larry’s honor & to commemorate the amazing care he received while there. Their address is 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.
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