Charlotte D. Smith

Charlotte “Sally” Diana Smith (80) of Palatine, Illinois died at home around February 10, 2026, of complications of cardiovascular disease. She was born on March 4, 1945, in Denver, CO to Beryl Diana “Dan Dan” Cameron Bate and Robert Chase Flint. The family, including older brother Cam, lived on Perry Park Ranch in Denver when she was a baby, then moved to Chippewa Falls, WI, where her younger brother Steve was born. They later lived in New Lenox and eventually Barrington.

Despite having asthma as a child, Sally was an outdoorsy little girl who grew up in rural settings and could ride a horse before she could walk. She enjoyed reading and spending time with her brothers and girlfriends, “the two Kathys.” In 1963, she graduated from Barrington High School. She sold her horse Nicotine to go to business school after graduation.

On April 22nd, 1967, she married Michael Joseph Smith. Their only child, Alex, was born on Christmas Eve the following year. They later divorced. Following her divorce, she worked as a tarot-card reader at Astrologically Yours in Phoenix, AZ, and for Smithson Noise Control, which manufactured acoustic tiles. She and Alex moved back to the suburbs in 1980, living in Barrington, Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Algonquin, Barrington, and finally Palatine, where she purchased her home in 2001. She worked for approximately three decades at Northrop Grumman as a procurement analyst and was known for being a tech guru. She was always an early adopter of any new technology.

She was extremely determined and excelled at anything she put her mind to. At the age of 40, she quit smoking and took up long-distance walking. One day when a storm sprang up, she ran home to beat the rain and decided she liked the feeling. She went on to become a medal-winning runner.

In her free time, she enjoyed reading mystery and horror books. Favorite authors included Dorothy Sayers, Louise Penny, Terry Pratchett, and Stephen King. She was an early fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings long before the books were popular or the films came out. She liked watching British television. Music-wise, she was a folkie who loved Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk. She also enjoyed the blues and rock ‘n’ roll, and listening to Alex play classical guitar. Alex was one of her greatest prides in life.

In addition to being a proud mother, she was a lifelong animal-lover and adored horses and dogs. She fox-hunted when young and did Basset hunting with her mother in the early 1970s. She was a member of the Spring Creek Basset Hunt and helped Alex take care of the pack in the 1980s. In the early 2000s, she began doing conformation, agility, and nosework with her dogs. She and the dogs participated in several AKC National Agility Championships.

Sally is survived by her son Alister Cameron Smith and daughter-in-law Sarah Marie Smith Lindenbaum (Bloomington, IL), brother Cameron Chase Flint of Evanston, nephew Ian Flint of Cupertino, CA, niece Ali (Flint) Denman of Evanston, five great-nephews, one great-niece, cherished dogs Honey and Spice, wonderful neighbors, and countless friends. She was predeceased by her father, mother, brother Stephen Flint, and beloved dogs Remy, Rosey, Xena, Cassie, and Dig-It.

She was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in late 2021, which she bravely fought with the help of a study through Illinois Cancer Specialists of Arlington Heights. She was Patient 001 and proud to be the trial’s longest-living participant. The pharmaceutical company called her The Tank and staff at Illinois Cancer Specialists referred to her as their Beyoncé, since she was a star of the research world. The study drug was eventually FDA-approved, and her participation was pivotal in helping other cancer patients get life-prolonging treatment.

Her ashes will be interred or scattered in a private ceremony in Spring 2026. Memorials may be made to an animal rescue of one’s choice.