Daniel Smith

October 17, 1951 – December 4, 2022 Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself. - Paramahansa Yogananda On the morning of Sunday, December 4, Daniel “Dan” L. Smith, 71, passed away on his property in Knox. Dan was born on October 17, 1951 in South Bend, Indiana to Ben N. and Margaret M. Smith. He was raised on their family farm in Teegarden. In 1970, Dan graduated from John Glenn High School and soon joined the local Ironworkers Union No. 292. He was a man of simple joy and found it among his family, his spirituality, and the beauty and wonder of our natural world. He was an active member of the Self-Realization Fellowship, where he found a deep comfort and understanding in the ways of our world and beyond. Dan had a profound peace about him, though surged through life with childlike energy. He found great joy in playing outside with his granddaughters. He saw the world as a deeply beautiful thing riddled with the faults of greed and power-hungriness. A common phrase was, “It’s not a perfect world.” However, to combat these injustices that he saw, he worked to live as sustainable and full as possible. He was the kind of man to sing with the morning doves. He would listen to the needs of his land rather than study how best to keep his garden. He loved loudly and gave generously. Whether a grandchild needed to be pushed on the rope swing, or a son needed help in the yard, Dan was always there. Among the precious content of his character, Dan was a man of hobbies. He cherished hiking and camping trips with his sons and brothers. If he did so alone, it was not long before he made some buddies. Using his ironworker’s knowledge, he enjoyed crafting sculptures. He filled his cabin as well as the houses of those he loved with original pieces of furniture. His property filled up with homemade dirt-bike trails for himself, his sons, and friends to enjoy for decades. He is survived by his sons, Daniel L. and Randall T. both of Plymouth, his granddaughters Sophia M. (Matt) VonBank of Noblesville, Kathryn E., and Olivia M. of Plymouth, and the mother of his children Kathy M. (Thomas) Manenti of Chesterfield, MO. Also surviving are his siblings: Linda (Jim) Rozelle of Fort Wayne, Mark (Jan) Smith of Plymouth, and Ben (Cheryl) Smith of Mishawaka. He was preceded in death by his mother and father. Dan will be cremated. The family plans to have a celebration of life in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation to these organizations be made: The Nature Conservancy, the Michigan Cycle Conservation Club, or the National Parks Conservation Association. Dan was a generous giver to these and other organizations like these and would have greatly appreciated it.

Daniel Smith

December 6, 2022 - December 6, 2022