Yates Clayton Smith Obituary
The passing of Yates Clayton Smith (Gastonia, North Carolina) occurred on October 18, 2026. Yates, born on December 14, 1942, shared life with family, friends, and community. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Yates Clayton Smith to show support.
He was predeceased by: his parents, Nell Cloninger Smith and James Thomas Smith; and his siblings, James Roy Smith, Eric Miles Smith and Jill Renee Smith Baird.
He is survived by: his wife Nancy Katz Smith; his children, Yvette Smith Rainey (Keith) of Auburn, Georgia and Matthew Taylor Smith (April) of Gastonia; and his grandsons, Johnathan Whitney Spiecha and Christian Patrick Spiecha. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 4th 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Withers & Whisenant Funeral Home and Cremation (2916 Union Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054). A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, November 4th 2026 at 2:00 PM at the same location.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.
