Matthew Ryan Taggart Smith

A memorial service will be held at St. Henry’s Chapel, Calvary Cemetery, Dayton on Saturday, February 17. Visitation with coffee and Matt’s favorite donuts from 9:15 to 10:00 AM; service from 10:00 AM. Father Satish Joseph of Immaculate Conception Church and Pastor Dave Atkin of Kent, Washington will lead the service.

Matt Smith, driver, traveler, brother, and awesome son, died unexpectedly in Dayton on February 9, 2024.

Born at the American military hospital at RAF Lakenheath on February 28, 1992, Matt started life in England surrounded by the love of his parents, his big sister, and his grandparents. He was very proud of his British roots. He spent the next 5 years living in Washington D.C., loving all the opportunities of being in a military family. After moving to Dayton in 2001 he attended Immaculate Conception and Chaminade Julienne High School, where he graduated in the class of 2011. At CJ, Matt loved being part of the tennis team, was a strong supporter of all CJ sports (“Go Eagles!”) and made many life-long friends. He loved visiting his grandparents in Florida and Colorado whenever he was given the chance. He loved going fast and was happiest speeding down a ski slope or a mountain bike path, leaving his sister in the dust.

After graduation, Matt took classes at Clark State College and took great pride volunteering for President Obama’s re-election campaign – he embraced the American ideal of one voice, one vote and encouraged everyone he knew to show up on election day. Matt soon achieved his dream of completing his Heavy Equipment Operation/Site Construction Certificate Awarded and his Class A CDL, which allowed him to travel and work throughout the Western United States, living in places he always wanted to visit including Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and California. During the winters he worked at ski resorts and he spent several wonderful summers in Alaska driving tour buses for cruise ship passengers. Matt devoted his off-hours to exploring glaciers, mountains, and the beautiful Alaskan sea coast, taking wonderful photos to share with family and friends. Beyond this, Matt also travelled the world, visiting England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Spain.

During the pandemic, Matt worked in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, where he quickly made friends with neighbors, co-workers, and members of his church community. His favorite jobs there included transporting passengers across the Canadian border to Vancouver and also driving double-decker tour buses safely through the very narrow streets of Seattle. In the fall of 2023, he decided to move closer to family, first staying on his Uncle’s ranch in Colorado before returning home to start a new career path in Dayton. Over the Christmas holidays he traveled yet again to Canada to help his big sister with her move to Ireland. In the month before his death, Matt had started a promising new position driving for Rumpke Waste and Recycling – a family company that Matt was proud to be part of. He even used his insider’s knowledge to help his mom improve her recycling habits at home!

A lifelong lover of animals - furred, feathered, and finned - Matt spent many hours walking and playing with his family’s dogs, including Ashley, Cadbury, Stretch, Wolfie, Teffi, and Hettie. He was a keen photographer, country music lover, and the biggest fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Above all, Matt enjoyed spending time with his family and friends to whom he showed his love through food, conversation, and contagious laughter. Matt lived his life to the fullest and he has left a huge mark on those who knew him best. He will be missed by all who had the privilege to watch him grow and mature during his adventurous, courageous, and all-too-brief life.

Matt is survived by his mother, Ann Smith, of Dayton, Ohio, by his sister, Megan Welton and his brother-in-law, Paul Morrow, of Dublin, Ireland, and by his father, Mark Smith, of Charlotte, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, Matt’s family requests that donations might be made to:

The Matt Smith Scholarship Fund at Chaminade Julienne High School (https://www.cjeagles.org/give/ways-to-give)

or

WagsInn Canine Charities

(https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1363877)