Arthur Franklin Smith passed away peacefully on May 21, 2025, following a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on May 26, 1984, in Macon, Georgia, to Arthur Young Smith and Karen Lee Smith. Franklin was a graduate of Mount de Sales Academy where he participated in football, basketball, and baseball and was selected All-State in football. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 19 at Vineville United Methodist Church where he was an active member.
Franklin graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and Information Technology, and served on the executive board of Sigma Chi Fraternity. After college, he settled in Savannah, GA where he enjoyed many happy times with friends, riding bikes, playing soccer and eating southern cuisine. He relished the time he spent at his grandparents’ farm in Leefield, GA and on family vacations at Hilton Head Island, SC.
In 2018, Franklin married Ashley Tucker of Charlotte, NC. The couple resided in Brooklyn, NY, enjoying all the city had to offer and traveling to places like Holland, Northern California, and the Cayman Islands. They later made a home in the mountains of Asheville, NC where their son, Miles Smith was born.
A servant leader and civic technologist, Franklin’s career was spent at organizations utilizing technology for the public good. Most recently, he was employed as a project manager at Nava PBC, working to improve the functionality and design of government websites. A volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, the Savannah Music Festival, Georgians for Passenger Rail, and a member of First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, Franklin worked to build community, help the less fortunate, and care for the natural environment.
To know Franklin was to know a friend with a kind soul, overflowing with love, positivity, and loyalty. He spent his time in God’s great outdoors on cycling adventures, playing golf, and gardening. He enjoyed live music and listening to records; reading historical fiction and books on mythology; cooking delicious meals; and, above all, spending time with his family, friends, and playing with his son, Miles.
Franklin will be remembered for his strong faith, devotion to family, and as a loving husband and father. He had a truly magnetic personality, witty sense of humor, and an infectious smile. When faced with hardship and challenge, he never wavered and instead met that hardship with calm strength, courage, and grace. Franklin has been and will continue to be an inspiration to his family and friends.
He is survived by wife, Ashley Tucker and their son, Miles Smith of Asheville, NC; his parents, Karen and Arthur Smith of Macon, GA; brothers, Adam Smith (Leighton) and their son, Asher of Asheville, NC, and Bradley Smith of Atlanta, GA; grandfather Harry Franklin Lee, Sr. of Leefield, GA; in-laws, Elizabeth Wolfe (Gary) of Charlotte, NC, and Peter Tucker (Lynne) of Lake Wylie, SC; brothers-in-law, Michael Tucker and Bolden Walters of Charlotte, NC. Survivors also include aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by grandparents Betty Parrish Lee, Robert Tyrus Smith, Sr., and Carol Ferguson Smith.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to the doctors and staff at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University and CarePartners for their excellent care.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the Cupola at Hart’s Mortuary, Macon, GA, on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 11:00a.m. following a private family graveside service at Riverside Cemetery. The family will receive guests in the Rotunda immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, 40 Church Street, Asheville, NC 28801; or Mount de Sales Academy, 851 Orange Street, Macon, GA 31201.
Arrangements are in the care of Hart’s Mortuary and Cremation Center, 6324 Peake Road, Macon, GA 31210; (478)-746-4322. Online condolences may be shared at www.hartsmort.com/listings.
