Michael Smith, 68

Michael “Mike” Joseph Smith (68) of Great Falls, Montana, died in a tragic car accident on Jan. 4, 2026. A Memorial Service was held on Jan. 9, 2026, at Croxford Funeral Home in Great Falls, Montana.
Mike was born July 28, 1957, in Billings, MT, to Warren and Jane Schlachter Smith. He grew up in Joliet, MT, until 1968 when the family moved to Plains, MT. Mike graduated from Plains High School in 1975 and MT Tech in Butte, MT, in 1979 with a degree in Environmental Engineering.
Since there was a scarcity of environmental engineering jobs available, he worked in the oil fields of Eastern Montana and North Dakota for several years. In 1982 Mike started his professional career with GE in Billings, MT, and later moved to Seattle, WA, Honolulu, HI, and Columbus, Ohio. In 1995 he joined Nationwide Financial in the office of compliance. He retired from Nationwide in 2020 and moved back to his beloved Montana in 2022.
Mike met the love of his life, Suzanne “Suzy” Percival Smith, while playing walleyball at the apartment complex where they both lived in Seattle. They married on October 1, 1988, in Red Lodge, MT. They have two children: a son, Jordan Michael (1993), and a daughter, Hannah Jane (1995). Mike was a wonderful husband and father and friend to all he met.
Mike enjoyed hiking, snow shoeing, pickleball, gardening, traveling, spending time in the great outdoors especially sleeping unencumbered on a cot beneath the night sky and taking care of his cats. Mike was Eli’s, Hannah’s dog, favorite person and their bond was extraordinary. He was a well-loved and exceptional youth sports coach for football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, and volleyball. His way with children was admired by many and will be sorely missed. A lifelong volunteer, Mike was involved in community gardens, youth mission trips, and picking up after litter bugs. Since moving to Great Falls, he immersed himself in Wild Montana. Above all Mike treasured time with family and friends and being a devoted husband and father.
Mike is survived by his wife, Suzy; son, Jordan Michael (Terra) Smith; daughter, Hannah Jane Smith (Cody Allison); sisters Margaret (Dave Swan) Halko, Janice (Roger) Hassenpflug, Patricia (John) Buck, Mary (Steve) Supola, Jean (Casey) Clinch, Laura King, Catherine (Jonathan) Roen, and Rebecca (Jeff) Crider; brothers Robert (Pam) Smith, Mark (Penny) Smith, and Paul Smith; sisters-in-law Louise Evered and Laura Percival; brother-in-law Dan Percival; as well as many, many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Mike is also survived by cherished friends, including the classmates he reconnected with during his 50th high school reunion last summer, his pickleball friends, everyone involved with Wild Montana, and his lifelong hiking and basketball groups in Columbus, OH.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents, mother- and father-in-law, Betty and Bob Percival, brothers-in-law Joe Halko and Robert Percival, and sister-in-law Cindy Smith.
 Memorial donations may be sent to Wild Montana or a charity of your choice.