Obituary of Michael Verl Smith

Michael Verl Smith, 44, of Morgantown, passed away Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at West Penn Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA after a lengthy illness. He was born in Morgantown on July 4, 1970, the only child of Linda Kay (Moore) Smith of Morgantown and the late Verl Junior “Smitty” Smith. In addition to his mother, survivors include his uncle and aunt Ronnie and Jane Smith; aunt Linda Smith; uncle and aunt Larry and Naomi Moore and their daughter Emily; his special aunts Brenda Holland and Mary Copland; his two nieces Allie “Bug” and Sara “Boo” Knotts; his cousins Doug and Tina Smith, Steven and Kelly Smith and their two children, and Michael and Elizabeth Moore; and Fonda Austin, whom he considered to be like his sister. Along with his father, preceding him in death were his paternal grandparents Verl and Grace Smith; maternal grandparents Mike and Rebecca Katchur; his paternal and maternal great-grandparents; a cousin Matthew Knotts and many other aunts and uncles. Mike was a 1988 graduate of Morgantown High School. Also he graduated from West Virginia University, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, and his Master’s Degree in Rehab Voc Evaluation. He previously worked at the WVU Job Accommodation Network. He enjoyed camping at Big Bear Lake and was a collector of many things. In the last few months of his life, Mike became an avid user of Facebook, which helped him to reconnect with his friends and classmates. He also considered himself a gamer. Mike’s mother is honoring his wishes for cremation to take place. A memorial service will be announced in the spring of 2015, which will be held at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens in Westover at a time and date to be determined, where he will be laid to rest next to his father. Contributions in Mike’s memory may be made to the West Virginia Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 900 Lee Street #1010, Charleston, WV 25301, or by visiting their website at www.mda.org. Mike’s family would like to extend a very special thank you to the staff at The Greenery in Canonsburg, PA, especially Deb, where he spent the last few months of his life, for all of their care and compassion. Hastings Funeral Home of Morgantown is assisting the family with the arrangements.