NART Spyder

Funeral at First Methodist Church in Lexington Friday at 3PM. I'll be there and know several other Ferrari friends who will represent the rest.

Bob
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Eddie C. Smith, whose rags-to-riches rise long provided Lexington's most visible example of the American dream, died at home Wednesday after a long illness.

Smith, 88, who spent his formative years as an orphan at what is now the American Children's Home, started his own company and made a personal fortune.

He also served as mayor and, as a private citizen, dedicated his wealth and leadership to many civic causes.

"He put his talents and his resources to use for the good of the city, and he did that better than anybody I know," said current Lexington Mayor Richard Thomas. "I think the city will miss him for all the good things he did but also for the intangible of knowing that he was always there if you needed him."

Born in Garner in Wake County in 1918, Smith arrived with a younger sister and two younger brothers at the relatively new Junior Order Home outside Lexington in 1930 after their parents died. Smith, who milked cows and dug sweet potatoes on the home's farm, looked back on his seven years there with 250 other children as among the best in his life and was always proud of his association with the home.

Partly because of his later success, Smith became one of the most popular and admired alumni for former residents, which made his passing tougher for them Wednesday. "When you look up to someone for so long, it's a sad day," said Hedrick's Grove resident Raymond Padon, who lived at the home from 1947-55.

After Smith turned 17, he chose to make his life in nearby Lexington. He ushered at the Carolina Theater, where he met his wife, Sarah Lanier, and drove a taxi, dispatched for and became manager of the Red Bird Cab Co. After six years at Lexington Mail Order Co., he went out on his own and started National Wholesale Co., a mail-order hosiery business.

Today National Wholesale on National Boulevard employs 150 people and sells hosiery, intimates, sleepwear, loungewear, clothing, shoes and accessories by catalog and on the Internet. Smith was inducted into the Direct Marketing Association's Hall of Fame in 1999.

For years, Smith went to work early every Monday morning so he could cook breakfast for all of his employees. After he died at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, his daughter, Lynda Swann, president and chief executive officer of the business, went to the office in her bathrobe 30 minutes later to tell workers arriving for their shifts the news.

"They deserved that," Swann said. "They loved my dad. It's what he would have wanted."

When Smith's son, Eddie Smith Jr., chairman and CEO of Grady-White Boats in Greenville, N.C., won an award in his industry recently, he credited the simple things his father had taught him - honesty, integrity, taking "awesome care" of your customers and co-workers and being "a fanatic" about quality.

"He was a larger-than-life person with the most positive attitude I've ever encountered," Smith Jr. said.

Smith won election to the Lexington City Council for a single term in the late 1960s. In 1970 he was appointed to serve out the mayoral term of Eric Morgan, who resigned because of a job transfer, and he continued as mayor until December 1975.

Even after leaving office, he remained interested in government. A private pilot who believed a good air facility would attract economic development, he helped win state and federal grants for the Davidson County Airport.

He chaired boards for Lexington Memorial Hospital, Davidson County Community College and the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce. He led fundraising drives for the hospital and the Davidson County Library Foundation.

Smith started every day with a devotional, a 3-mile run and a swim in his indoor pool at home. After encountering a severely abused woman on a run in the early 1980s, he hosted a fundraiser at his home that enabled the young Davidson County Domestic Violence organization to build its first shelter.

"This issue was just coming out of the closet, and it was hard for many people to support it," said Gayle Burke, one of the agency's initial co-chairs. Smith's involvement "really crossed a lot of bridges," she said.

After Davidson County Domestic Violence and Youth & Family Counseling Services merged in 1997 to form Family Services of Davidson County, Smith continued to be "a mainstay" of the combined agency's programs, said Debora Rice, executive director of Family Services.

Smith also raised money to save and improve the Carolina Theater and turn it into the city's civic center, which was named for him in 1995. He served as president of the center's board from the early 1980s through June 2006, when he was made president emeritus.

"He was my best cheerleader," said Marquita Burkhart, civic center executive director. "He loved this facility."

Smith never went to college, but he became a big fan of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and sometimes loaned his airplane to former Tar Heels basketball coach Dean Smith for recruiting trips. A few years ago his family provided money to build the Eddie Smith Fieldhouse, a sports practice facility and indoor track facility on the Chapel Hill campus

Smith also loved all kinds of auto racing and delighted in making practice runs at international raceways in his Ferrari while wearing his fireproof driving suit. He continued doing that, as well as his morning runs and swims, until three years ago, when he had a stroke. He subsequently was diagnosed with cancer.

For years on Halloween, including in 2006, long lines of cars from poorer neighborhoods would bring children to trick-or-treat at Smith's huge house in the Country Club area. For many of the youngsters, he was the richest man in town. For him, they were reminders of the children he grew up with at the Junior Order Home. Smith always wore a costume - from Big Bird to Prince Charming. He gave out thousands of pieces of candy and hired off-duty police officers to help manage the crowd.

"It was his joy," his daughter said. "It was a big deal."
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Eddie would have the NART and his 355 trucked down from N.C to participate in Florida Region FCA events and Cavallino. Eddie would fly down on one of his company aircraft so he could be home in time Sunday afternoon to watch college sports on TV.

He re-defined the word "dapper!" Worth Avenue seldom saw a sharper dresser in resort "senior" wear. He was also very capable in closing down the hospitality suite on Friday nights, being one of the last to leave for his room. One could only hope to enjoy the same energy and love of life when we near his age.

He will be remembered and missed for a long time!

KevFla

 

That is a great story and inspiration

 

I never had the opertunity to meet the man, but I will never forget the story about the N.A.R.T. Spyder as told by one of his employees when we went to see the car a few years ago.

One night a young man, I think he was in high school or college stole the car after drinking a case of beer with his friends. The car was in one of his airplane hangers, so the kids ran the car up and down the runway, eventually running off the end and crashing the car. I'm not certain, but I think this was near the height of the Ferrari bubble in the early 90s.

I think the story was that the kid was somewhat wild and troubled, and Mr. White said there is no way you can afford to repay me now, but if you stay in school, and report to me with good grades, you can get a job and repay me latter. From what I remember of the story, he finished school, but Mr. White never required him to pay for the car. That apparently is the kind of man Mr. White was...

 

thank you for the info tom. i too never met him but bill rhodes has always spoke fondly of him. he sounded like a wonderful enthusiast as well a great man.

thank you again tom.

pcb

 

Eddie was a marvelous man. Generous, kind and completely approachable. I met him at Rockingham over a decade and a half ago and I will never forget the charge of driving him around that little "bullring" in that fabulous car (that he bought new!).

He will be missed.

 

I remember attending my first FCA event - a Roebling Road Track event in Savannah, GA honoring NART. This large red trailer pulls into the infield with three cars on the back - a mint TR, the then-new 355 Spyder, and the NART Spyder. Eddie's cars. When I met him, he was very personable, and allowed me to take lots of photographs of him next to his 275 NART Spyder. A great man.
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I only knew Eddie for about 10 years and I have to say that I have always held him in the highest regard. He is one of the few people that I know or have ever known that I consider to be as generous, kind and honest as my own father.

I always loved listening to Eddie tell his stories - which he loved to do. To meet him on the street, aside from his sharp appearance, you would never know nor guess he was as wealthy as he was. He was simply humble and thankful for all of the accomplishments and blessings that he had created in his life. One of my favorite stories that Eddie told was when Ralph Lauren came to see him, insistent on purchasing the NART Spyder from him. Since Eddie purchased the car new, he considered that car 'his baby' and it was not for sale at any price. When telling the story, he made sure to throw in how that car was his daily driver for quite some time and it even saw time in the snow. It took Eddie sending Ralph packing to convince him that indeed, the car was not for sale. That car, being the only original owner NART Spyder left on the planet was considered priceless. It could never be as priceless as Eddie or the privilege of knowing Eddie though.

He truly was one of the greatest and will be missed by many whose lives he touched.

As I have been traveling a lot lately, I only just found this post to discover of his passing, so sadly I missed his funeral. My heart and prayers go out to his family, as well as all that knew him.

I love and cherish the times I got to spend driving or riding with Eddie in many of his fine automobiles. I will miss having the opportunity to spend time in his presence. Perhaps we can name a track day event after him or at least allocate some lapping time (parade laps, corner worker rides, etc.) in his honor at future events, as he so enjoyed spending time on track in his beautiful cars.

Peace and God Speed to you, where ever you are now my friend! You were truly one beautiful human being of whom we should all model in your generosity and attitude towards life and others. You were and still are a light for us all.

With the greatest respect,
Chuck

 

Here's a few pictures of the NART and Eddie more for my sake than anything.
Eddie had won the model at his table (what he has in his hand) as well as the councourse with the NART Spyder at this 2004 VIR event.

I can remember standing between Eddie's NART and Bob's Enzo thinking "I have to take pictures of this, as I can't imagine ever being able to stand between these two cars again!"

It was raining during part of this event. That did not stop Eddie from bringing the NART out so that it could be shared with and enjoyed by others. That's just who he was...


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Enzo!!!