After officer’s death, his colleagues escort his daughter at graduation

Officer Chuck Smith served in the U.S. Army before becoming a local law enforcement officer. He was dedicated to his job and devoted to his family before COVID took him last fall.

On Friday night, his brothers and sisters in blue stood in for him as his daughter received her diploma. More than a dozen uniformed officers lined the football field Friday night at North Paulding High School, standing in salute when Kaylee’s name was called.

“I didn’t know there would be so many would be there,” Kaylee said. She fought COVID last fall as well. Surviving pushed her to work harder to graduate, knowing her dad would have wanted that.

“I was looking at the pictures of my brother and him when he graduated and it made me really sad because he wouldn’t be there at mine,” Kaylee said.

The two shared very similar personalities, both quiet but devoted to those they loved, her mother said.

“What I loved about my husband is he did his job and did it well,” Kim Smith said. “You never know this side of heaven how many people you reach. His passion was to reach these kids.”

Credit: Family photo

Credit: Family photo

An Alabama native, Charles “Chuck” Ashley Smith graduated from Troy University with a criminal justice degree before serving in the Army for four years. He later moved to Cobb County, where he served for 25 years with the county police department, according to his online obituary. After his retirement, Smith joined the Cobb school system police, working at Osborne High School for three years.

At his funeral, countless people, including school workers, parents, and fellow officers, told Smith about the impact her husband had made in their lives. Earlier this month, Smith was among those honored in Washington D.C. for National Police Week during a ceremony for those who died in the line of duty.

On Friday, the focus was on Kaylee as she was awarded her diploma just eight months after losing her dad. The seat reserved for Chuck Smith was empty, but members of the Cobb County Police and Cobb County School Police departments turned out to be there for Kaylee.

“Since her father, Officer Chuck Smith, who undoubtedly would’ve been there for this occasion could not be there, several officers with the Cobb County Police Department and Cobb County School Police were there to stand in his place to watch Kaylee walk across the stage to receive her diploma,” the county police department said in a social media post. “Congratulations Kaylee, we know your father is very proud of you. We are all very proud of you, and can’t wait to see where you go from here.”

Kaylee plans to attend Kennesaw State University to study accounting. On Tuesday, she offered her gratitude for those in uniform who stepped in for her father at graduation.

“Thank you for being there for me and my dad,” she said. “It meant the world to me that they were there.”