Carl Lee Smith's Obituary
Carl Lee Smith passed away peacefully at age 92 on February 4, 2025 in San Diego, California while listening to his favorite song, his granddaughter's recording of "Amazing Grace." Carl was born in Blytheville, Arkansas in 1932, the son of Preston and Gertrude Wade Smith. He graduated from Harrison High School with honors, where he was a standout basketball player, and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. Completion of college was deferred while he served nobly in the US Army during the Korean War, being awarded a Bronze Star.
At Philander Smith Carl joined Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and met his future wife Dorothy, to whom he was married for 63 years until her death in 2022. The couple and their children, Carlton and Sharian, made homes in St. Louis, Missouri where he earned a Masters in Social Work degree at Washington University, then Cleveland, Ohio and Long Beach, California before settling in San Diego. Weekends at their homes were filled with music from his vast collection of jazz albums. Carl loved attending live sporting events wherever he lived, including the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Diego Chargers.
Professionally, Carl dedicated his career to social and psychological services, specializing in mental health assessments and therapies. His journey started in the fields of Child Welfare and Social Services in Saint Louis and Cleveland, advocating for vulnerable populations and supporting families in crisis. In 1966, he began working with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Long Beach, then moved to the newly opened San Diego VA Hospital in 1972. There, he became passionately involved in groundbreaking research on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition still in the early stages of clinical recognition. Beyond traditional therapy, he pioneered alternative treatments that were considered cutting-edge at the time, such as biofeedback and hypnotherapy to help patients manage stress, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms. Through his dedication and research, Carl facilitated broader acceptance of holistic and mind-body therapies for mental health conditions, helping to shape modern approaches to understanding and treating PTSD, principally among veterans who had experienced the psychological toll of combat.
Near the conclusion of his VA tenure, Carl obtained a PhD as he transitioned to private practice clinical psychology, establishing his own office near downtown San Diego. Hearkening back to his early roots working with the disenfranchised, Carl was known for eagerly accepting challenging court-assigned patients that many other professionals declined. He enjoyed mentoring students and taught courses at San Diego State University and San Diego Community College. Carl was actively involved with local psychology associations, sometimes hosting dinner meetings at his home featuring his signature smoked turkeys. He thoroughly enjoyed his career, working into his eighties before retirement.
Carl was preceded in death by his devoted and loving wife Dorothy Louise Smith, brother Charles Smith, and sister Jalumer Ervin.
His survivors include children Carlton (Carol) Smith and Sharian Smith Lott; grandchildren Brandon, Loren, Evan (Brandi), and Carlton Jr.; great-grandson Karter; sister Ethel Jewell Coleman; a host of adoring sisters-in-law and other relatives.
The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Wanda Latimer for her compassionate caregiving throughout his times of need, especially during his final days.
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