John Michael Smith (Mike) of Smithfield, Utah, passed away peacefully at Caribou Medical Center in Soda Springs, Idaho, on September 4, 2022.  He is now happily fishing in paradise, pain-free.  Mike was born and raised in Logan, Utah, on February 17, 1946, the son of Donald Rodney Smith and Iva Vilate Hancey.  He was the youngest of three children.  Mike spent most of his childhood years hunting and fishing in Logan canyon.  He graduated from Logan High School and attended Utah State University, where he studied aeronautics.  He served in the United States Army from 1966 – 1971.  Mike married Linda Schenk on November 20, 1971, and they had four children.

Mike took great pride in everything he did and loved his family above all else.  He enjoyed working at Pepperidge Farms for almost forty years, starting as a machinist and retiring as a project manager.  Mike shared his love of the mountains with his family and friends and made many wonderful memories of hunting, fishing, and camping.  He was an avid reader and lover of ice cream, took pride in his yard, enjoyed gardening, and fly fishing, was skilled at fly-tying, and could fix anything.  After retiring, Mike enjoyed going to coffee with his buddies.

Mike is survived by his wife, Linda; children Brett (Krista) of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Joni (Ulysses) Black of Smithfield, Utah, Melissa (Chad) Corbett of Grace, Idaho, sister Geraldine (John) Figg-Hoblyn of Willits, California, nine beautiful grandchildren, and three adorable great-grandchildren with another on the way.  He was preceded in death by his son, Shawn, his sister, Patricia, and his parents.

We could not have asked for a better husband, dad, poppa, and friend.  He taught us the true meaning of unconditional love every single day.  We were blessed to have him in our lives and will miss him dearly, but we take great comfort in the knowledge that he will live on in the better parts of us and that we will see him again.  We would like to express our deep and heartfelt gratitude to the incredible staff at Caribou Medical Center for their exceptional and compassionate care of Mike during his last weeks.  We know he kept you on your toes.

Graveside services with Military Honors will be held to honor Mike at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the Hyde Park Cemetery (400 East Center Street, Hyde Park, Utah).  All who knew and loved him are invited to attend.