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Mike Smith
August 7, 1942 to October 29, 2022 |
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Larry Michael "Mike" Smith, 80, of Charlotte, NC,
passed away on October 29, 2022.
Mike was born on August 7, 1942 to Everett D. and Josephine Dorothy
(Shady) Smith in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from Grove City
High School in Ohio in 1960, he went to the police academy and
successfully became a police officer in 1968. Mike served his Grove
City, Ohio community as a police officer for 25 years until he
retired in 1993.
Mike has two daughters from his first marriage (Susan), Tracy Smith,
residing in Lewis Center, Ohio, and Julie (Smith) Young, residing in
Grove City, Ohio. He was extremely proud of his daughters.
In the late 1980s, he reconnected with Barbara Kay (Mathews) Wentzel,
whom he had known in high school but had not seen for over 15 years.
They wed in 1992 in Grove City, Ohio. From his marriage to Barb, he
has two step-daughters, Stephanie Wentzel, residing in Naples, FL
and Suzanne Schaffer, residing in Charlotte, NC, whom he loved as
his own. Mike and Barb relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina to be
closer to Barb’s daughter.
Mike loved serving as a police officer and giving back to his
community. He was a member of the Grove City Masonic Lodge and the
Scottish Rites – Valley of Columbus Ohio.
After he retired, he loved tinkering on cars and farm equipment and
working in his yard. He enjoyed playing games on his computer to
keep his mind active and sharp. Mike and Barb also really loved
watching any kind of sports and spending time with family. Anyone
who knew Mike considered him a sweet and kind man who always had a
peppermint in his pocket for his grandchildren.
Mike was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Patricia Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Kay Smith; brothers Tim (Brenda)
Smith and Steve (Elva) Smith; daughters Tracy Smith and Julie (Tom)
Young; step-daughters Stephanie Wentzel and Suzanne (James)
Schaffer; and his nine grandchildren, Jordan, Michael, Alexandra,
Evan, Nickolas, Allyson, Cody, Katherine and Lyla.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to
Gary Sinise Foundation at https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/give
The family will hold a private memorial service on November 11,
2022. |
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