The laughter and light of the world have dimmed with the passing of Edward Darden Smith, 76, on Sunday, May 31, 2015. He was a life-long resident of Suffolk and Portsmouth, although he spent his final months in Indian Land, S.C. Born on Nov. 21, 1938, he was predeceased by his parents, Godwin D. and Mildred L. Smith, and his brother, Pete. He is survived by his devoted wife, Carolann B. Smith; his sons, Douglas Edward Smith and wife, Natalie, of Charlotte, N.C., and William Darden Smith and wife, Ann, of Asheville, N.C.; stepson, Scott Murray and wife, Terri, of Fort Mill, S.C.; stepdaughter, Allison Murray Kenney and husband, Patrick, of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; and brother, Michael G. Smith and wife, Gloria, of Charlotte, N.C. Ed was the beloved grandfather to six grandchildren: Darden, Ann Caton and Elizabeth Smith, of Asheville, and Connor, Jed and Charlie, of Charlotte, N.C. He was also much loved by his five step-grandchildren: Peyton, Chase, Saylor, Blayke and Pressley Paige Murray.

Ed graduated from Virginia Tech in 1960. A devoted Hokie, he inspired his sons and extended family to attend Virginia Tech. One of his favorite pastimes was attending Hokie football games with family and friends. After graduation, he enjoyed a prosperous 50-year career in the peanut industry. He worked at Planters Peanuts for 17 years and A&P for four years before starting Smith Brokerage Company, a peanut brokerage business, from 1982 to 2012.

Ed served on the Suffolk School Board and the Suffolk Planning Commission and was active in multiple civic organizations. He was past president of the Suffolk Jaycees, the Bennett’s Creek Ruritan Club and the Suffolk Toastmasters. He was also a member of the North Suffolk Social Club. He spent countless hours coaching both of his sons and their childhood friends in the Bennett’s Creek Little League from 1975-1985. He was a member of Aldersgate Methodist Church in Portsmouth.

He was dearly loved, and his jovial laugh, humor and larger-than-life personality will be missed by his close circle of family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Coalition at https://www.crowdrise.com/edsmithhokie, a charitable organization devoted to finding a cure for this rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that Ed suffered from, or to The Virginia Tech Foundation, Nicole White Memorial Fund, University Development (0336), Attn: Gift Accounting, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Nicole died tragically in the campus shooting on April 16, 2007, and was from the Suffolk area.

The funeral will be on Saturday, June 6, at 2 p.m. at R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home and Crematory, 509 W. Washington St., Suffolk, VA 23434, (757) 539-4691. Burial will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk. Visitation will be on Friday, June 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Condolences may be registered at www.RWBakerFH.com.