Eugene "Gene" D. Smith

Eugene Dorsey Smith died at home on March 15, 2025 at age 94. He was born in Wilmington, NC on December 21, 1930 to Margaret and John Newton Smith. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John “Jimmy” Newton Smith. He is survived by his beloved wife, Nina Boswell Smith, with whom he was married for 33 wonderful, loving years, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Gene attended school in Wilmington, where he graduated from New Hanover High School in 1949. Gene excelled as a baseball player, and played shortstop in high school, where he was an All-Star player for three years straight in the Cape Fear League, achieving an impressive .362 average in the 1948 season. Recognized as an excellent batter and infielder (his high school yearbook predicted him to be “Babe Ruth’s Successor”), Gene went on to play in semi-pro leagues and was recruited to play on minor league teams by the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Yet, his desire to attend college led to his attending Wake Forrest College (now Wake Forest University) where he excelled both in the classroom and on the baseball team as an outfielder. In 1953, duty called him to take a break from civilian life, and Gene enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he proudly served in the Signal Corps and was stationed in West Germany. He was discharged as a corporal in 1955 and was awarded the Army of Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

Following his service, Gene returned to Wake Forest where he graduated in 1956, a member of the last class to graduate in Wake Forest before the university moved to Winston-Salem, NC. After college, Gene began a long and distinguished career at Burlington Industries, where he put his business degree to good use, rising to serve as an executive in the company’s Treasury Department where he managed many key business and finance relationships, with company travel frequently taking him to many cities on the east coast. He retired after 45 years with Burlington Industries and remained living in Alamance County with his wife Nina where he was close to his many friends and relatives. He will be missed, and he will be remembered for his abiding faith in God, as a loving husband, and for his kindness and generosity to everyone.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 22 at 2:00 p.m. at May-Foley Chapel, Twin Lakes Community, Coble Creek Healthcare Building, 3802 Wade Coble Drive, Burlington, NC 27215.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Twin Lakes Residents Assistance Fund, 3701 Wade Coble Drive, Burlington, NC 27215.