DONALD CHARLES HARPER-SMITH

Aug. 25, 1931 – April 5, 2019

Charles was born to Lucy (Hough) and John Harper-Smith in Stockport, England (Cheshire) near Manchester on Aug. 25, 1931. His family moved to Lincoln, in Lincolnshire, during the war to escape frequent bombing in the Manchester-Liverpool areas. He attended boarding school at Stamford in Rutland.  He served in the British Army as a lieutenant (out-ranking his older brother, a medic), then attended university in Lausanne, Switzerland.  After receiving his degree in 1955, he was recruited by the Hilton Corporation to work in New York City.  At the end of his first year, he answered an ad in the Times and was hired by the Marriott Corporation to help open their first 4 hotels in the Washington D.C. area.  He stayed with them for 24 years.  During that time, he married his first wife and had 4 children, moved numerous times within the U.S. and became a Vice President.

After his Marriott experience, he worked for P.K. Halsted, an international food consulting company based in Brussels, Belgium, traveling internationally and using his multi-lingual skills, later worked for ARA Services in both Los Angeles and Philidelphia, Sand's Inc. in Atlanta,  Arby's International Division in Miami which led to his part ownership of the Arby's Master Franchise in the Netherlands, living in the The Hague for 3 years, then returning to the states to complete his career with Servomation based in Boston.

After retiring in 1996, he moved to Blanco with his second wife, Nancy (Collett), to enjoy the Hill Country life.  He restored the old Hunter Homestead on Kendalia Road and planted a small vineyard to keep him active and productive.  Over the last 20 years, he frequently entertained the residents of Live Oak Medical Center playing the piano.  And, several for years, he joined Vicki Pautz' Christmas Choir to continue sharing his musical talents and enjoying his love of music.

He is survived by his brother, Richard (Lesley) Harper-Smith of Tetford, Lincolnshire, England, his wife of 33 years, Nancy, brother-in-law, Rick Collett of San Antonio, TX, sister-in-law, Pat Wood of Blanco, TX,  sons Donald, Jr. (Jeni) Harper-Smith of Mesa, AZ, John (Rae Lynne) Harper-Smith of Martindale, TX, step-son Charles "Butch" Dechert of Blanco, TX, and daughters Melanie (Mike) Ysasaga of Katy, TX, Stephanie (Jake) Langi of Kyle, TX and step-daughter Denise (Sean) Rooney of Morgan Hill, CA., 18 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, plus many nieces and nephews, from England, to 6 different states in the U.S.

His ashes will be scattered in a private family ceremony at a later date either in a rushing trout or salmon stream where he once enjoyed fly-fishing or the Atlantic Ocean, where, over the years, he so often captained his beloved Eliza, a 37-foot sailing vessel.