Tom E. Smith

1941 - 2023

Tom E. Smith
May 2, 1941 - June 2, 2023
Salisbury, North Carolina - Tom E. Smith, whose 82 years were rooted in Rowan County soil and in enduring family lessons, passed away June 2, 2023, peacefully at his home in Salisbury, N.C., following a lengthy illness.
When he retired in 1999 as CEO of Food Lion, the Salisbury-based grocery chain, Smith left a legacy of goal setting and achievement. Born May 2, 1941, in Salisbury, he was the son of the late Cora Belle Ervin Smith and Ralph E. Smith. His drive and determination began at age five, when he and his mother picked cotton for farmers in their home community of China Grove. He listened carefully to her on-the-job lessons about working hard, saving money, and setting goals.
At 16, while a student at China Grove High School, he began a career with Food Town, a new supermarket in Salisbury. His initial duties were bagging groceries and stocking shelves, but he quickly ascended to store manager by the age of 19. As a student at Catawba College, he switched to night classes so he could continue to work at Food Town to pay for college. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 1964, he went to work for Del Monte Foods and served four years in the U.S. Army Reserve.
When Smith first returned to Food Town in 1970, there were 12 stores. Food Town would later be renamed Food Lion, and Smith would eventually be named President, CEO and Chairman at ages 39, 44 and 49, respectively. Many fondly remember Smith for his folksy Food Lion commercials during his tenure as CEO. At the time he was named CEO, there were approximately 200 stores. When he retired, there were over 1,200 stores with 90,000 employees. For several years, Smith said the company opened as many as two new stores per week in the Southeast. Hard work and goal setting shaped the company he led so well.
Tom Smith believed in servant leadership. In an April 14, 2023, interview about his life story, Smith said, "I always believed the leader of a company should not make a decision on his or her own. I believed in working with the employees - getting their thoughts, their ideas - before any decision was made. It was amazing how employees were able to help grow the company. I always felt the results were from us rather than from me."
He also drew inspiration from his Christian faith. "There was something that Jesus did that I liked a lot, and it was doing for others. My faith is more from that standpoint than any other, the thrill you get when you help somebody and you see them grow and accomplish their goals. I based all of my decisions on the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12, 'In everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'" Smith was a longtime member of St. John's Lutheran Church, where he served as an usher at the 8:30 a.m. service.
Smith's passions included traveling with his wife, Martha, his daughters and grandchildren; farming and caring for a variety of animals; and sharing his John Deere farm equipment and classic American car collections with fellow enthusiasts. To stay active in the business world after retirement, he purchased a local John Deere dealership and invested in two local hotels.
Generous philanthropy came later in his life. Once Smith saw what generosity could do for others, he said, "I got a great deal of joy out of that, and I got on the bandwagon." Always rooted in his hometown, Smith gave the lead gifts for the restoration of the Meroney Theatre, the Historic Salisbury Depot, the Lee Street Theatre, and the construction of the South Rowan branch of the YMCA, in honor of his parents. A project especially dear to him was the Price of Freedom Museum near where he grew up because he thought it was important for local schoolchildren to learn about World War II history.
Smith tirelessly served his community and beyond in leadership roles during his career and retirement, including the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Catawba College and President of the North Carolina Food Dealers. Other corporate and non-profit board positions included serving on the Board of Directors of Farmers & Merchants Bank, Speedway Motors, Concord Telephone Company, the Food Marketing Institute, Children's Miracle Network, Foundation for the Carolinas, United Way, Duke Children's Hospital, the N.C. State Veterinary Advisory Board, the University of North Carolina Research Institute, Carolina Youth Commission, and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Rotary Club, the President's Advisory Committee of the American Red Cross, the American Red Cross Hurricane Cabinet, the N.C. Business Council of Management and Development, and the Salisbury Community Foundation.
Among his many honors were the Distinguished Alumnus Award and Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Catawba College; the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award; the Bronze and Silver CEO of the Year for Financial World Magazine; N.C. Food Dealers Association Grocer of the Year; Salisbury Lions Club Man of the Year; and Easter Seals Society's Equality, Dignity & Independence (EDI) Award for Individual Leadership.
Tom Smith is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Martha Hatley Smith; daughters Leigh Van Pelt and husband Greg, and Nancy Moller and husband Hans; grandchildren Josh Friday, Alexis F. McGann and husband Jacob, Olivia Van Pelt and Catherine Moller. He is also survived by his sister Brenda Seamon; his nephew and niece, Todd Seamon and Rhonda Jones and their families; and his brother-in-law, Mike Hatley and his family.
Based on his wishes, a private family memorial service was held in Salisbury.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in memory of Tom E. Smith to Duke Cancer Institute for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, 300 W. Morgan St., Suite 1200, Durham, NC 27701, https://www.gifts.duke.edu/dci Catawba College, 2300 W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC 28144; or St. John's Lutheran Church, 200 W. Innes St., Salisbury, NC 28144.
Summersett Funeral Home served the Smith family. Online condolences may be made at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.