Cecil W. Gwaltney, Jr

Cecil W. Gwaltney, Jr., 78, of Smithfield, passed away on July 29, 2021 after a short illness.  He is predeceased by his parents, Cecil W. Gwaltney, Sr. and Lucille Maynard Gwaltney.  He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Linda Kay Wilson Gwaltney, their son, Cecil “Trey” W. Gwaltney, III, and their daughter, Jill Wilson Gwaltney.  He is also survived by his brother, F. Maynard Gwaltney, several in-laws, and a host of nieces and nephews.  Cecil grew up in Smithfield, attended Smithfield High School, and graduated from Elon College in North Carolina.  While at Elon, he met Linda on a blind date to the movies.  After getting married, they settled in Portsmouth, VA for a short time, then relocated to Smithfield where Cecil joined the family Ford dealership, Gwaltney Motor Co.  During these years he served on several community boards, as well as the VA and Nat’l Automobile Dealers Associations.  Cecil was also known for his showmanship at the Smithfield Little Theatre.  While quite the performer on stage, it was his directing skills with lavish musical productions that he will be most remembered for.  That, along with his extensive and colorful wardrobe, and ever-present can of Diet Coke.  After retiring from the car business, Cecil spent a short time producing TV commercials before settling into his post-retirement job of managing his second family business, Smithfield Self Storage.  A service will be held Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, 2 p.m. at Little’s Funeral Home followed by a graveside service at Ivy Hill Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Smithfield Little Theater, PO Box 332, Smithfield, VA 23431, or on line at smithfieldlittletheatre.org.  Please indicate donation for Cecil. Online condolences may be registered at www.littlesfuneralhome.com.