Wayne Smith Obituary, Death – The demise of our much loved Derek Wayne Smith, age 49, of Gaston, South Carolina, is something that we must announce with a heavy heart. The Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, South Carolina, is where Derek passed away on May 17, 2023. Richlands, Virginia was the location of his birth on August 24, 1973. He was the son of Dena Smith, who passed away, and Darrell Wayne Smith, who lived in Gaston, South Carolina.
Truck driving and operating heavy machinery were the primary occupations that Derek pursued during the most of his adult life. He was devoted to his wife and children and treasured the time he got to spend with them. When Derek wasn’t spending time with his family and friends, he enjoyed being outside, going hunting and fishing, and doing other outdoor activities.
Both the Pine Grove Hunting Club and the Slab Landing Hunting Club counted him as an active member at one point. Everyone who knew and loved Derek will miss him in a deep and meaningful way. His mother, Dena Gail Smith, as well as his grandparents, Clarence and Janie Davis and Cecil and Lena Smith, passed away before he was born. He was named after his mother.
Those who are left to carry on his loving spirit include his father, Darrell Wayne Smith; his sister, Delena Pate and husband Richard Pate; nieces Hannah Pate and Leiren Pate; and great nephew Easton Pate; along with many aunts, uncles, cousins, family and friends, including special friends Mike Swearingen and Nikki Hamlin and her daughters, Kourtlynn and Carrigan Hamlin.
