Troy James Smith

Troy James Smith, born in Toledo, Ohio on September 16, 1983, passed away on April 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. After graduating from St. John’s Jesuit High School where he honed his values of honesty, hard-work, and service to others, Troy enrolled at John Carroll University where he continued to make a positive impact on his community until he graduated in June 2005. Ever seeking to serve where he thought his talents and skills would be best utilized, Troy enlisted in the United States Navy where he served honorably for 6 ½ years as a Hospital Corpsman and later as a Physical Therapy Assistant. It was during his service to the United States Navy that Troy discovered his passion for physical fitness and competitive bodybuilding. Throughout the last ten years, Troy dedicated himself to the sport of bodybuilding and started his own motivational speaking organization (iGrind: Conversations in Change) which allowed him to travel the country encouraging and motivating high school students. Troy continued to be a dedicated Big Brother to two boys through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay while earning two Master’s degrees from Webster University. After having worked in a variety of professional positions, Troy was finally able to serve in a position that combined his commitment to service, his personal passion for fitness, and his professional organizational leadership skills when he accepted the position of Operations Manager / Assistant Media Director for Stay-In-Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center in 2017. In this role, Troy facilitated numerous community partnerships but his proudest achievement was the establishment of the Ability Games which served to showcase the determination and strength of individuals recovering from and living with spinal cord injuries. While Troy’s service to his country, his community, and his co-workers brought him much satisfaction and gratitude, he was unmistakably joyful and grateful for having had the opportunity to create a family with his partner Ciara and their son Kingston. Those who desire to contribute to Troy’s life and legacy of service, may make memorial donations in his name to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, John Carroll University, or St. John’s Jesuit High School (Toledo, Ohio).