Robert W. Smith

Rob Smith was happiest on the hills, making fast tracks through the snow-covered slopes. It was what he was almost born to do, it seemed. Of course, Rob was the kind of young man who seemed born to everything he did, who lived his life with an effortless grace and adventurous heart. He was a remarkable young man, and a beloved son, grandson, and friend. He was taken too soon, but his life was a gift to all who knew him.

Rob’s story began on a cool winter day in 1989, as the snows began to melt in Muskegon, Michigan. Those were tumultuous times around the globe, which witnessed the terrible Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the violent protests in China’s Tiananmen Square at the end of the Cold War. On March 6, 1989, Jeff and Carolyn (Ledin) Smith had a reason to celebrate, with the birth of a baby boy at Hackley Hospital, a son they named Robert.

Rob’s dad was an Engineering Manager, while his mom was a Special Education Administrator in nearby Newaygo.

Rob was a very curious and adventurous boy right from the start, and was even wide awake and looking around the delivery room!

Rob was immersed in travel and adventure from the start, too, and beginning with his very first summer, his parents took their newborn baby boy with them on their boat in Muskegon Lake, where he watched them go tubing and water skiing. When he was a toddler, the family visited his Grandpa Bob and Grandma Dotty in Florida during Spring Break.

By his fourth birthday, Rob was up on snow skis, learning at the fabulous Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado. With wide eyes and an even wider grin, Rob was hooked from that trip forward. In December of 1993, the family took a three-week ski trip to Utah, skiing Brighton and Deer Valley, where Rob learned more in the ski schools there. He was just five years old, not even in kindergarten yet. They would return to Utah every winter to ski the Cottonwood Canyons thereafter.

The following year, Rob’s parents divorced. Determined to provide a stable and loving environment for their son, Rob split equal time between his dad’s home at 1965 Forest Park Road in Norton Shores, and his mom’s house at 1111 Cheboygan Drive in Laketon Township.

In 1995, Rob and his family began spending their weekends at Crystal Mountain Resort, in Thompsonville, Michigan, where he would hone his superior skiing skills over the years, becoming his home away from home. His love for adventure began to grow with every trip down the hill, as well.

In the summer of 1995, Rob and his dad embarked on a two-week offshore boating trip, from Muskegon Lake, up the shoreline, under the Mackinac Bridge, and porting at Mackinac Island. The next summer, at just seven years old, Rob and his dad made their first trip to Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, a beautiful and remote destination. They had to paddle in on canoe, and paddled out a week later. It was a great trip for little Rob, who caught a 35-inch lake trout, and hooked a 50-inch Muskie - bigger than he was!

Rob and his dad would make five trips to the beautiful area over the years, each a new outward-bound adventure, with so many exciting stories to tell on their return to civilization. From seaplane rides, to flying squirrels, to the stunning Aurora Borealis lighting up the sky, it was such a special place for both of them.

Rob had so many incredible adventures over the years, though, more than most people could experience in several lifetimes. He and his dad went backpacking in the Pacific Northwest in 1999, when Rob was just 10, camping on the beach, in Redwood National Park. They saw Crater Lake in Oregon, backpacked up Mount Shasta, and ate prawns in Monterrey.

Rob also visited the Badlands with his mom and his stepdad Dave, visiting Mt. Rushmore, canoed the Green River, and hiked Harney Peak, too. Rob, Carolyn and Dave saw New York City together, and saw all the landmarks in Washington D.C., as well.

As busy as his summers were, winters were a time to unwind for Rob. As soon as the snows fell, Rob hit the slopes, and became an incredible skier in the process. He raced NASTAR for much of his childhood, and even qualified for the national championships, too. He and his dad even won the father-son slalom races one year at Crystal Mountain.

As adventurous as he was, Rob was also a very bright young man, with a naturally-inquisitive mind. He was also a very good student, who excelled in math in science (just like dad). He went to engineering camps at Michigan Tech when he was 13 and 14, which helped him decide his life’s trajectory.

Rob was also a gifted musician, who could play the alto sax, the tenor sax, and even the bassoon! (He loved bassoon the best). By the time he began attending Mona Shores High School when he was 14, he had become quite good, joining the Sailors’ marching band, as more adventures ensued. In the summer of 2005, Rob had the incredible experience of traveling to China with the band, where he experienced an entirely new culture, and had the rare chance to play on the Great Wall itself!

Rob was also a delightfully typical teenager in many ways, especially in his love for his vehicles! His grandma Dotty gave him his first car, a beloved Toyota Camry. This was followed by his prized Tacoma 4x4 his senior year in high school, which he endlessly tweaked with the help of his best friends, Chad and Ethan. Rob would race the 4x4 up the sand dunes at Silver Lake, and polish his wheels ‘til the chrome shone brightly. He even put a GPS system in the truck, too, always spoiling his “baby”!

Rob graduated from Mona Shores in 2007, and headed to Houghton to study mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech, just as he always planned. He also joined the ski team there, as well as starting training to be on the Mont Ripley Ski Patrol. In the winter of 2007, Rob, Jeff and Jeff’s longtime girlfriend Leslie went skiing in Utah, which all agreed was the Best Ski Trip Ever.

Rob loved all of his adventures and travels, but he loved sharing them with his family and friends most of all. He loved telling family stories, playing games together, and was the family photographer, too. He was a great and loyal friend, who shared so many of his adventures with Chad and Ethan, from video games to paintball to jet skiing (lots of jet skiing!).

Rob was friendly, and fun to be around. He loved to debate, to laugh, and to help those around him, too. He was also a young man with faith in the Lord.

In January of 2008, following his ski trip to Utah, Rob returned to school, and returned to the Mont Ripley slopes. Sadly, and unbelievably, Rob was skiing on those slopes on Friday, February 1, 2008, when a ski binding unexpectedly pre-released during a high speed downhill run, throwing him into a tree. He died as a result of his injuries, at the age of 18.

Rob was an incredible young man, who lived an incredible life, a life so full of adventures. He saw so many great things in his lifetime, and experienced more than most ever will. He did it all with an open mind, an adventurous heart, and an uncommon love for life. Rob was taken too soon, but his life was such a great gift to us, a gift we will cherish, love and remember forever. He will be greatly missed.

Rob is survived by his mother, Carolyn (David Gerdes) Smith- Gerdes of Muskegon; father, Jeffery S. (Leslie Wills) Smith of Norton Shores; grandmother, Dorothy Ledin of MO; grandparents, Ronald (Donna) Smith of WI; 2 step sisters, Laura Gerdes & Amy (Scott) Buege; 2 aunts, Cathy Smith & Barbara (Don) Smith; 2 uncles, David Smith & Robert (Julie) Ledin & cousins, Scott Smith, Jessica Smith, Charissa Arganbright & Scot Arganbright. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Robert N. Ledin.

Services are scheduled for Friday, February 8, 2008, 11:00 AM at Laketon Bethel Reformed Church with Dr. Sherwin Brantsen officiating. Interment at Laketon Township Cemetery.

Visitation is Thursday, 2-4 & 7-9 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mont Ripley Ski Patrol, c/o Michigan Tech Fund, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of Rob, or to sign the online guest book.