Carter Franklin Lee Smith

Funeral services will be conducted Sunday afternoon, October 5, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. from the chapel of the Taylor Funeral Home.  Pastor Dennis Bailey will officiate. Visitation will be on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday beginning at 11:00 a.m. until service time. Place of rest will be in Memory Gardens in Hickman County.

Carter’s family would like to invite you to dress very colorfully for his funeral to match his personality, anything Chiefs, Marvel, Predators, any Halloween costume, King Kong or Godzilla.

Those desiring, memorials are suggested to Stuart Burns Elementary School Library or a gift to offset end of life expenses.

Carter Franklin Lee Smith, age 10, also known as Tart- Tart, Carter Frank, Buggie the Boo and Feral Frank died September 29, 2025, at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Carter was born in Nashville, TN on May 4, 2015 and was a 5^th grade student at Stuart Burns Elementary School. He is the son of Travis Lee Smith and Virginia Camille (Ginni) Dodson Smith.

Carter was a young man that never met a stranger, who loved his Lord and loved life. He truly lived life to the fullest every single day. He was wide open from the moment his feet hit the floor until he climbed into bed at night.  Carter LOVED SO BIG, he could give you a hug that would literally make you smile from the inside out. If you were having a bad day, he would always offer you a special Carter Hug.  He had such a contagious and loving personality. Carter loved unconditionally and unapologetically. He didn’t care who you were or anything else, he just loved you. He loved not only hugs but loved to snuggle and hated sleeping in his own bed. Carter made such an impact on those who knew him, in such a short time he was here on earth.

He loved football, he loved to read, especially the series of Wings of Fire, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Anime Horror. He was a fan of the Nashville Predators, Kansas City Chiefs, King Kong and Jurassic Park.  He was looking forward to trying out for football and basketball.

Carter was preceded in death by his sister, Everli Iris Faith Smith, his grandfathers, Cam “Poppy” Dodson and Tommy “Papaw” Smith.

Carter is survived by his loving family, his mother, Ginni Smith, his father, Travis Smith, his siblings, Jorja Forsberg (Kyle), Jaxen Stiltner, Gavin Brazzell and Grady Smith, his grandmothers, Robbie Dodson and Jeanine Smith, his uncle and aunt, Randy Smith and wife Cheryl, his niece and nephew Camryn and Beau  Forsberg, many cousins and many friends.