Myrlin Wayne Smith went home to the Lord on the morning of Good Friday, April 7th, 2023. He is survived by his loving children: Debbie (John), Janet (Joe), Wayne (Michele), April (Joel), and Jennifer (Brett), his sister, Patty, and brother, Gary.
Wayne was a devoted family man and instilled the importance of working hard and loving unconditionally, always leading by example with a generous heart. His legacy to live life to the fullest, and prioritize faith, family, and baseball will be carried on by his five children, three bonus sons: Rick, Mike, and Pete, his nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. He will be fondly remembered by his friends and family for his integrity and comforting presence.
Wayne was born on November 1st, 1935, in Cherokee County, KS to Carl and Helen Smith. His early years were spent growing up on a quaint farm until the family moved to a bustling city in Los Angeles when he was eight years old. Wayne attended and graduated from Dorsey High School in 1953. Shortly after, he married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Bush, in January of 1954. During their 20 years of marriage, Wayne and Elizabeth had five children together and made a lasting impression on their church communities. They attended Bible Baptist Church in Norwalk, CA and Granada Heights Friends Church in Whittier, CA. For work, Wayne pursued an apprenticeship in plumbing and soon became Los Angeles' most dependable plumber — although he was so busy helping others, his children recall their bathtub suffering from a chronic drip. An annoyance that is a small price to pay when you have the world's best dad. Wayne and Elizabeth raised their children to value quality time together and help those in need. They took family camping trips often and made a few memorable trips down to Mexico to donate their clothing to the less fortunate, and many Thanksgivings were spent together as a family, welcoming in Marines from Camp Pendleton. Their time was cut short as Elizabeth passed away in December of 1974. Wayne demonstrated his resilience and reliance on God during this difficult time. He remained strong for his children and supported them through all life events, even stepping in to attend a mother-daughter fashion show with his youngest daughter, Jennifer. In his final days with us, Wayne talked about the joy of getting to reunite with Elizabeth in heaven. What a beautiful moment that must have been.
On a Sunday afternoon in 1977, Wayne attended a church group bowling social. It was there he met the bright, blue-eyed, Sue Swallow. He and Sue married at Granada Heights Friends Church on July 15, 1978. In their 43 years of marriage, Wayne and Sue raised a blended family (including horses, llamas, sheep and little doggies) and built a wonderful life together. Their thrill for adventure took them from Whittier, CA up to Carmel, CA to Fredericksburg, TX where Wayne worked at Ace Hardware as their expert plumber. The adventure continued to Tampa, FL, and finally, to Traverse City, MI from 1999 - 2022. From the farm to the beach to the Cherry Capital of the World, Wayne and Sue made dear friends and the sweetest memories along their journey. After Sue passed away in May 2022, Wayne traveled across the country in what would be known as his "farewell tour." He cherished the one-on-one time he got to spend with all his friends and family, sharing the important things in life such as his strong faith in God and of course talking a little baseball.
To know Wayne was to know his passion for baseball, both as a player and a loyal fan. He was destined to favor the game as his father, Carl, was a West Coast Scout for the Philadelphia Phillies. Throughout his playing career, Wayne played high school ball and continued to manage Little League teams and play on church softball leagues. He followed College Baseball with his family and held season tickets to the College World Series in Omaha for many years. When in Tampa, he attended Spring Training. The seven-inning stretch anthem, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" sings about the little things that make the ball game so fun and memorable. Peanuts and Crackerjacks. That is how Wayne viewed life here on earth — it's the simple joys in life that are our greatest treasures.
Wayne's strong faith was shown in many ways through his daily walk with the Lord. He demonstrated the importance of Sunday church to the family through fellowship with church friends. Continuing through his dedicated personal daily devotional time and ensuring every one of the children, grand-children and great-grand-children were provided a personalized Bible to show each one of them how God cherishes in how we can live a fulfilled and abundant life in Christ.
Wayne was a warm and loving husband and father to all of his children. His constant drive to be involved in his children's, grandchildren's, and great-grandchildren's lives was so important to him, even from a distance. He lived his life and took care of his family in a way that all his children learned to bring into their own lives. He will be profoundly missed by those who were blessed to call him Dad/Pops/Grandpa/Great Grandpa/Papa.
A memorial service will be held at Bible Baptist Church in Traverse City on May 3rd at 11am. His final resting place will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Traverse City, right beside the love of his life, Sue Smith.
The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com