Obituary of Deacon Langston Smith

Langston T. Smith, Jr. was born on June 26, 1931 in Halifax County, North Carolina.  He was the 2^nd of eight children born to the union of Langston T. and Willie Smith.  His early years were spent in Halifax Country where he attended public schools, completing his High-school education at Halifax County Training School.  During his High-School years, he drove the school bus demonstrating qualities he lived his entire life: responsibility, timeliness, and care for others.  Langston was called to serve during the Korean Conflict (1950 – 1953).  He received an honorable discharge from military service at the rank of Corporal.  

In January 1954 he married his high school sweetheart Christine Elaine Hedgepeth and quite soon after the nuptials left North Carolina (his wife remained at her dad’s).  He landed in Washington, DC where he ultimately got a job full-time at the U.S. State Department, and a part-time job working for Safeway Stores. He held both of these roles for more than 30 years to provide better opportunities for his children than he had experienced. He graduated Cortez Peters Business College where he focused on bookkeeping and business training.  

Life in DC began in Ivy City, the area around the Bethesda Baptist Church, which he joined in February, 1956. The many years of his membership at Bethesda provided the crucible for his spiritual growth, discipleship & kingdom building work.  He held leadership roles in the Trustee, Diaconate and Music ministries, also serving in Vacation Bible School, Men’s Ministry, and the Security Ministry.  For him the Rev. Dr. John D. Bussey was a beacon, spiritual leader and preeminent exemplar, after whom he patterned himself. He was called, trained and ordained to the Deaconate Ministry by Rev. Dr. Bussey in April 1989. He remained committed to his participation and service at Bethesda Baptist Church for the entirety of his 68-year membership.  

With Christine he had four children: Beverly, Ronald, Valree and Crystal whom they raised by anchoring in the communities of Bethesda Baptist Church and the Riggs Park community in north-east Washington.  

As a husband and father, brother and friend, colleague and neighbor, fellow congregant and Christian brother, Deacon brother and Trustee, he was esteemed.  He could tell and take a joke although he seemed immutably serious and like a rock of Gibraltar. He loved to sing and he loved to laugh.  He had a great mind and a long memory; he could recall with detail events from long ago and speak with plain language to make clear and simple how to help and encourage yourself and others. He seemed always able to say the ‘right’ thing, whether the hearer liked it or not.  He was not shy about representing right and expressing righteous indignation.

His wife Christine met eternity before him, in May 2015, so now he’s joined her.  Remembering him blesses his children, Beverly, Ronald, Valree, Crystal; grandchildren, Lauren, Raven and Christopher; Yvonne, Billy, Blondie, Berdean – his siblings; and many cousins, nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.