Michael R Smith

Michael was born in Maywood, California to Marvin and Irene Smith on July 23, 1947. He went to school at Chariton High School and graduated with the class of 1965. He married Pamela Joy Roberts on March 29, 1975 in Safety Harbor, Florida and had just celebrated 46 years of marriage. He graduated from Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, Missouri where he earned a Masters in Education. He worked for the Rolla Diagnostic Clinic in the 1970s in Rolla, Missouri. He then moved to Florida and worked as a teacher for Franklin Junior High and transitioned to Director of the Children’s Psychiatric Unit at County Hospital. In the 1980s he became Director of Programs for Tampa General Rehabilitation Center. He remained working in the Brain Injury field with the Center for Comprehensive Services, HealthSouth, and Communicare until he retired in 2011. He spent his retirement traveling, spending time at the beach, driving his jeep through the mountain roads of North Carolina, making apple pies every October, and enjoying his family and three grandsons.

Michael is preceded in death by his father Marvin Smith and mother Irene Smith.

Michael is survived by his spouse, Pamela Joy Smith (Roberts); daughter, Lindsey Aviles (Smith); son, Jonas Smith; son-in-law, Jason Aviles; daughter-in-law, Kymberly Smith (Sardinas); brother, Ronald Smith and wife, Trudy Smith; grandchildren, Victor Aviles, Colton Smith, and Beau Smith; niece, Jana Cain (Smith) and husband, Lee Cain; nephew, Craig Smith and wife, Jennifer Smith (Leeper).

His wishes were to be cremated with his ashes to be spread in North Carolina as well as to be buried in the Murray, Iowa Cemetery, next to his parents. There are no services planned in Tampa, Florida, however, there will be a video tribute at: https://www.dignitymemorial.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, in memory of Michael R. Smith. Contributions can be made online by visiting http://www.tgh.org/make-gift and completing the online giving form. Please check the box for "In Memory Of" or "In Honor Of" and enter Michael R. Smith. You may also mail donations to Tampa General Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 1289, Tampa, FL 33601-1289. Please make checks payable to "The TGH Foundation, Inc." and include Michael R. Smith in the memo line. The TGH Foundation will notify the family when gifts are received on behalf of their loved one.

The family of Michael wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Tampa General Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center for all they did for Mike.

If you knew him, you were left a better person because he was so kind, if you knew him he always made you laugh. Nothing mattered to him more than family and spending time together.