Celebrating Charles Smith, Richardson’s Very Own Centenarian

By Patti Otte

On September 24, 2023, Charles Smith will turn 103 years young. Mr. Smith’s mind is filled with vivid memories of a time when Richardson was mainly farmland and the best mode of transportation was the Interurban Railway. Mr. Smith is one of the oldest—if not THE oldest—citizens of Richardson, having been born in 1920. He still has a sharp mind and loves sharing stories of the past. To put his age in perspective, 160,000 people lived in Dallas in 1920, versus 1.3 million today, and eighteen presidents have served during Mr. Smith’s lifetime.

Back then, Richardson was just a bedroom community of farmland and oak trees, with a half dozen houses in the area between Campbell, Arapaho, Jupiter and Greenville. Born in Richardson, Mr. Smith remembers walking from his grandparents’ house on Interurban Street south of Beltline, where he lived for a short time while his parents’ home was being built, over the Interurban railroad track to school.

According to city records, the Interurban, an electric railway, commenced service in 1908 and ran north to Denison, south to Waco, southeast to Corsicana and west to Fort Worth. By 1910, 600 people lived in Richardson and the newly built (in 1914) schoolhouse Mr. Smith attended on Greenville Avenue eventually became home to the RISD administrative offices. The offices are still located there today.

Thomas F. McKamy was Richardson’s first mayor, elected in 1925, and he owned the local Cash Dry Goods, another of Mr. Smith’s frequent stops in his boyhood. It housed the original Richardson library. In 1927, just before the Great Depression, Mr. Smith moved into his parents’ home at 324 Huffhines Street, which still stands today. The home looks just like it did then, with the exception of the now blue exterior; originally, the Smiths had it painted white.

The area where Richland College now stands was “Roy Chick’s farm, prime dove hunting land,” according to Mr. Smith. He hunted there often in his youth.

During those early years, Mr. Smith met a girl named Rose Ann Julian, who would eventually become his bride. He and Rose Ann were classmates and both graduated in the Class of 1938 from Richardson High School. According to Mr. Smith, Rose Ann’s father was “the best cotton and wheat farmer in Dallas County.” Around that time, Mr. Smith’s dad owned Western Auto in McKinney, where the young Smith worked. Mr. Smith recalls riding the Interurban from McKinney to Richardson after work. He’d then “clean up and get the car and drive over to Addison to pick Rose Ann up at her farm.” Fun fact: Mr. John Elbert Julian owned the farm where Addison’s school was located and that building is now the Magic Time Machine on Beltline Road.

Mr. Smith married Rose Ann on March 11, 1944, while he was on leave from the Navy. Prior to their marriage,

Mr. Smith served his country as a Naval Aviator, Lieutenant Junior Grade, during World War II. He joined the US Navy in September of 1942 and went to pre-flight school in Athens, GA. Now known by his military nickname, "Smitty," he transferred later that year to Grand Prairie , where he started flying Stearman airplanes with open air dual cockpits

After a transfer to Pensacola, FL, in 1943, Smith did his advanced flight training in a North American SNJ, widely known as the Yellow Peril for its yellow color. He earned his wings in June 1943. He moved between Florida and Georgia a couple of time to receive Instrument flight rating training. He soon received orders to go to Alameda, CA, and in March 1945, he was transferred to Honolulu, HI. During the war, Lt. Smith was a co-pilot on an R5D—a 4-engine plane—delivering personnel and supplies from Honolulu to the Philippine Islands. Thankfully, he never saw any combat as the Hawaiian Islands were secure. Mr. Smith thinks back and remembers that he “never saw so much water in [his] life.”

Mr. Smith can recall the families who built Richardson, one of which was the Campbells. Passersby can still see JW Campbell’s home on the northwest corner of Arapaho and Plano Roads. It’s now barely visible behind a jungle of trees and overgrowth, but Mr. Smith remembers it well. He also remembers Richardson being known as “the community with the most Ph.D’s.” He and Rose Ann were founding members of the

Canyon Creek Country Club back in 1963. At the time, a membership cost $15-18 per month. They loved golfing and were members until 2000. Mr. Smith lost his beloved Rose Ann in May of 2001.

When asked to describe his dad with three adjectives, Mr. Smith’s son Charles, Jr. said Mr. Smith is steadfast, honest and trustworthy. His grandson Jason, who lived with his grandparents for many years and then next door to them later, describes him as kind, generous and loving. The man I had the privilege of meeting fit those descriptors well. When a Richardson reporter interviewed Mr. Smith recently for Richardson’s 150th celebration, Mr. Smith told him he thought he’d live till at least 105. For all of our sakes, let’s hope he lives even longer as he still has so many stories to share.

Author’s Note: The remarkable part of this story is that almost every single historical references included here came directly from Mr. Smith. He can still vividly recall tiny details of the past—like a talking history book—and I feel so privileged to have had the chance to share a small part of his story with you.

What is your name and how long have you had Staycation? Is that the full name of the shop?

Nicole Gregory and yes, that is the full name. I opened Staycation in November of 2021.

Tell us about Staycation. What makes it unique along coffee shops?

I think what makes any concept unique is the heart and energy of the people who gave life to it. The heart and energy behind Staycation is simply about the enjoyment of simple yet beautiful things, moments and conversations alongside other humans.

Does Staycation have a motto? If so, what is it and why did you choose it?

Our tagline is “stay awhile.” I think it speaks for itself, especially in tandem with the brand name. I felt like coffee shops were becoming more geared towards the remote worker and by association, this age of productivity that we live in, and I wanted a space that was geared towards “staying awhile” with a friend, with yourself, in conversation, in contemplation, in a moment—slowing down enough to maybe do nothing but savor the present moment and sit with it.

Who is your typical customer?

One of the special qualities about Staycation is that it is a space for ALL and that is truly what we get. All age ranges, all life backgrounds, all social statuses. It’s a mixing pot of beautiful life.

What inspired you to open Staycation and what is the inspiration for the name?

This question is a complex one for me because I did not set out to be a sole business owner when this project began. I was in a partnership with an individual and when that partnership came to an end, I made the decision to build the company and give it life. The inspiration behind the name comes from the ethos I’ve operated within throughout my time in the coffee industry: it’s an idea around living a life that we do not have to “vacation” from in order to find rest. An idea around balance, around honoring the “new” in the middle of lives that we so often equate to ‘normal’ and ‘mundane routine.’ Life is magical and being alive is material enough to always be in wonder and curiosity—if we are willing to slow down our pace and experience and savor it. After sharing these ideas with my ex-business partner, he said, “Staycation fits that” and so Staycation it became.

Do you live in Richardson? If so, what brought you here? If not, what made you decide to locate your business in our city?

I lived in Richardson until I was 11 and now live in East Dallas. Richardson came up through a series of events and when the little house on the corner was proposed, I knew it fit well with everything that rang true to me for a coffee shop brand. I have also been a longtime fan of Richardson’s diversity in its population and its food and cultural scene. I wanted to be a part of that.

What made you choose the house where you located the coffee shop?

Through a series of introductions, I met the developers who own the house and discussions began for a coffee shop. Because I tend to love what most would label the “the simple way of living,” having an old house as a backdrop for the brand seemed absolutely fitting.

What is your background? Have you always been an entrepreneur?

My background is one of a simple life. I grew up within the Mennonite community and spent my childhood in the garden, exploring the woods on our property, cooking, sewing and learning about LIFE. Due to that free and untethered way of growing up, I believe I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit in me and even though I’d go on to work for corporate companies, I’ve always operated within a certain rogue mentality, if that makes sense.

What are three adjectives which describe you?

Passionate, Creative, Authentic

What skills do you find most necessary in running a new small business?

I believe the skills I’ve found most necessary for me have been the ability to say “no” and perseverance.

What do you look for in a team member…especially in a barista? Authenticity and life-giving energy.

Are there certain menu items that are unique to Staycation? What is your best-selling drink?

Our Ginger Turmeric latte is unique to us. I make all of our syrups and that one is made from boiling down ginger and turmeric root into a syrup and it is absolutely delicious. Our top seller is probably our Dulce De Leche latte.

Share with us a funny or awesome story of having a business in Richardson.

The amount of awesome stories I have are unending. Probably the one that has stuck with me most is when our back communal table got taken over by a Bible study group and a Muslim group—both on opposite ends. They were all regulars, but I was so curious how that seating union was going to pan out. After about an hour and a half of listening to them laugh together, open their Bible and Koran and share stories and similarities, I realized that THIS is what makes Staycation IN Richardson so special: this interfacing of diversity that supports, nurtures and encourages conversation/interaction outside of where our normal routines take us.

Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about Staycation or you?

Life is the most precious gift we’ve all been given and to spend it here— on this planet that’s teeming with magic and organic complexities (that we still cannot fully comprehend)— is truly special and I hope that as a person and as a brand, I never stop inspiring people to honor and take part in its beauty.

Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we will focus on philanthropies that are making a difference in our community. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit to be celebrated in the pages of the magazine, email pmotte@hylogroup.com.