- Date Of Birth: April 27, 1998
- Date Of Death: February 20, 2016
- State: Michigan
Tyler Daniel Smith known to those close to him as “T” passed away tragically alongside his dad doing what they loved on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at the age of 17. Tyler was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on April 27, 1998 to Richard Eugene Smith, Jr and Laurie Sue (Bowker) Smith. He was a senior at Mattawan High School and attended Van Buren Technology Center for marketing entrepreneurship.
He had attended Mattawan since 8th grade and previously attended Kalamazoo Christian Schools K-7th grade. His passion was soccer which he played from age 4-17, reaching Premiere level at age 14. He played with travel soccer clubs including Red Arrow Soccer, Michigan Outlaws, Kingdom Soccer, MI Rush and soccer at Mattawan Consolidated Schools as goalie and forward. He loved going to Silver Lake Sand Dunes with his family and riding anything with a throttle. He shared a love of cars with his dad, watching Barrett Jackson – his first car being a Pontiac Solstice GXP. Tyler loved pulling all-nighters watching movies, drinking energy drinks, listening to music and playing video games with his cousins.
He spent summers on the beach playing volleyball with his sister, cousins and friends. He was known for his huge heart, infectious laugh and was a friend to everyone. He was loved for his silliness, quick wit and rib-crushing hugs. Tyler, his dad and sister had planned to start a business together at Silver Lake, Michigan that represented his love for family and passion for anything with a throttle. Survived by his mother, Laurie Sue Smith, his sister, Emily Nicole Smith, his grandmothers, Wanda Tam Smith and Valaire Jane Stahl, his aunts, Susan Lawrence, Debbie (Rich) Zesiger, Lynn Mohney, and cousins, Rob (Jess) Lawrence, Jon (Emily) Lawrence, Sarah (Tony) Hill, Amy Zesiger, Dale Mohney, Andrew Zesiger, David Mohney and Lauryn Mohney, many extended family members, and his first true love, Alexis Cornish.
