David Smith Jr. passed away on Jan. 13 at the age of 39. David is remembered by his family who noted that he lived his life to the fullest until God called him home.
David wrote gospel music and was described by his family as very outgoing and the life of the party. He loved people, and his family noted that he was very expressive.
Just over a decade ago, David was in active drug addiction and had three strokes. The people in his housing community kicked him out and he ended up at St. Thomas Midtown where doctors found he had brain trauma and only 20 percent of his heart function. The staff there described him as a “miracle man” because he was so close to dying when he arrived. After he recovered, he was denied disability. He eventually gained most of his health back and was able to find work so he could provide for his family, something he was adamant about doing.
David always took his family to church and after getting out of the hospital he started sharing his testimony with a big smile. He loved God and teaching about God and attending Bible studies. He credited God with saving him and always made sure to tell people who were also living with addiction, depression and homelessness not to give up. He would say that God loves you right now and being saved is more important than anything else. He would say that even if you don’t have a home right now, like he didn’t at parts of his life, that God’s got a mansion for you in Heaven.
David was also committed to caring for his community. The last time he served was at the Annual Homeless Memorial making sure everyone had breakfast. David would frequently visit homeless encampments to sit with people, feed them, give them money and encourage them. He even took his family with him so his children could see how blessed they were.
In his life, David experienced the cruelty of people who don’t treat you as human when you are homeless. He believed that nobody deserved to be treated badly or discriminated against because they were homeless. He devoted his life to making sure people were shown respect and kindness no matter their situation. He loved people right where they were at. He would ask people how they could eat a warm meal in their house and not think of the people outside. Together with his mother Tammy and their organization Mercy Grace Outreach, they made a difference in the community for the last 20 years.
David is survived by his mother, Tammy Branham; his grandmother, Barbara Malone; his wife of over 20 years, Remesha Smith; his four daughters, Tamia Smith, Kamara Smith, Miracle Smith and Aaliyah Smith; and his son Davion Smith, born Feb. 21.
His mother Tammy said she especially thanks God for Remesha’s strength during this time and they pray that his children will be taken care of. They encourage everyone to encourage each other just like David did.
