Michael Rick Smith

Michael Rick Smith, 55, of Warren, died Sunday, August 6, 2006. He was born on October 22, 1950 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the son of Shayle Webster and Betty Lou Albright Smith. He spent his formative years in Wichita, Kansas, where he developed a great thirst for learning and knowledge. He had lived in the Warren area for the past ten years.

Dr. Smith earned his Masters at Wichita State University. After receiving his Ph.D. in English from Indiana University in 1993, he taught at Wichita State University in Kansas. In 1997 he began teaching at Kent State University Trumbull Campus, where he was currently an associate professor of English. A specialist in medieval and Renaissance literature, Dr. Smith published several articles in scholarly books on sixteenth-century English literature and delivered numerous papers at English conferences. In 2002 he was the principal organizer of the Ohio Shakespeare Conference, held at Kent State University Stark Campus.

Dr. Smith was a strong advocate of faculty rights and shared governance. He served as secretary and chair of the Trumbull Campus Faculty Council and as chair of the Regional Campuses Faculty Advisory Committee. Dr. Smith made invaluable contributions to the American Association of University Professors--Kent State Chapter. He served as the AAUP First Vice-President and as the co-chair of the Kent State University-AAUP Joint Study Committee. He also sat on several AAUP committees. In addition to his work at the University, Dr. Smith enjoyed croquet, chess, tennis, astronomy, poetry, meteorology, music, cooking and gardening.

Dr. Smith was a loving father, brother, uncle and son. He was a genuine individual, had a kind spirit, and stood strongly by his principles. He expressed great compassion and helpfulness towards others and had a deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. His passion for knowledge and literature lives on in his children, students, colleagues and all those whose lives he touched.

Dr. Smith will be sadly missed by his mother, Betty, of Wenatchee, Wash.; his three children: Thea Wilma Smith of Bloomington, Ind., Julian Cedric Smith of Warren, and Vera Angela Smith of Michigan City, Ind.; three brothers: Kenneth Smith of Fort Collins, Colo., Kevin Smith of Waterville, Wash., and Stewart (Amy) Smith of East Wenatchee, Wash.; three nephews: Chris, Parker and Peyton; two nieces: Sarah and Dorian; his step-mother, Joan Smith of Wichita, Kan.; his former wife, Sunny Gardner-Orbovich;Uncle and Aunt Kedric and Dorene Smith of Salida, Colo,; and Aunt Kent Swift of Houston, Tex. His father, Shayle Webster, precedes him in death.

A memorial service will be held 7:00 PM Monday, August 14, 2006 at McFarland & Son Funeral Home. Friends may call 5:00 to 7:00 PM Monday at the funeral home.

Arrangements are entrusted to McFarland & Son Funeral and Cremation Services, 271 North Park Avenue, Warren, Ohio 44481. Please send condolences and view this obituary at www.mcfarlandfuneral.com