By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HYDE PARK - The resume of Charles F. Smith III reads like a history of retailing in Cincinnati's downtown.

After working in the menswear department at Gidding-Jenny, he worked as a book buyer, then a silver and china buyer for Pogue's Department Store and a silver buyer and merchandise manager for Herschede's jewelry stores.

After he left Herschede's, Mr. Smith and his wife founded M. Charles Fine Gifts and Silver, downtown, and Grandin Ltd. in Hyde Park.

Mr. Smith died Thursday at his Hyde Park home after a year of battling cancer. He was 70.

Born in Findlay, Ohio, in 1933, Mr. Smith and his family moved to Cincinnati, where he graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1951. He studied at Miami University before receiving a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Cincinnati.

After he retired in 1994, he volunteered at the Marjorie P. Lee Retirement Community Home in Hyde Park.

Mr. Smith's family remembers him for his kindness and sense of humor. "When Dad first started cancer treatment last spring, he stayed with us in Ann Arbor for a month," said his son, Charles. "And even though he didn't feel well, he made our home a brighter and happier place. He brought a collective smile to the whole neighborhood."

In addition to his son, survivors include Margaret Forker Smith, his wife of 34 years; a daughter, Margo Smith of Cincinnati; a brother, Michael A. Smith of Fort Mitchell; and a sister, Susan Castellini of Cincinnati.

Visitation is 2-4 p.m. Sundayat Schaefer & Busby Funeral Home, 24 W. Ninth St., downtown. The funeral is 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Church of the Advent, 2366 Kemper Lane, Walnut Hills. Burial will be at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Memorials: Hospice of Cincinnati, 4310 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242;or the Church of the Advent, 2366 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45206.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com