Oxford man was known

as a ‘gentle giant’

By Don Rush

After six days of searching for Oxford resident Christopher James “Chris” Smith, 48, members of the community were shocked and saddened to learn he was found behind a Pontiac Church, on April 4.

According to a release from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, “(Smith) was found at approximately 2 p.m. behind First Presbyterian Church, 99 Wayne St. A 911 call was placed to the Sheriff’s Office after Smith’s body was discovered. There were no immediate signs of trauma or foul play . . . The last confirmed sighting of Smith was on March 29 at 6:30 p.m. when he was seen leaving McLaren Oakland Hospital, 50 Perry St. in Pontiac. The hospital is located several blocks east of the church.”

According to the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office his death was ruled an accident, with Smith having succumbed to hypothermia.

Upon news of finding Smith, Oxford Community Schools (OCS) Superintendent Dr. Vickie Markavitch released the following statement, “It is with great sadness we share with you that Chris Smith, a beloved member of our transportation team and our school community, has passed away. Chris served as the transportation department’s dispatcher and a substitute bus driver for various routes. He was known as a ‘gentle giant’ with the kindest of hearts and a wonderful sense of humor. He will be dearly missed by so many in our school community. Our district mental health staff is available to provide support for both our students and staff. Please keep Chris’s family and those who love him in your thoughts and prayers through this most difficult time.”

Smith’s wife, Nicole, 48, said he was taken to the hospital after drinking too much. She said, like many people in the community, the Nov. 30, 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School really affected his life.

“I do know people have heard Chris’ story and they are talking about it more now that he is gone,” she said. “I want people to know who he was, how he lived his life the last couple of years does not represent who he was. He was super funny. He liked to do funny voices, he was sarcastic-funny. He was a great dad and the boys loved him. Chris’ best friends were our sons Jack and Lucas.”

According to his direct supervisor, OCS Director of Transportation Ann Weeden, Smith started with the district in 2016 as a substitute bus driver.

“Chris was a very quiet, reserved man until you got to know him,” she said. “He was an exceptionally nice guy. Once you got to know him he had a great sense of humor. Out of the blue he’d say something that would crack us all up. He was a big guy in stature and he has been a great employee. He had years of perfect attendance records. He was super, always willing to help out.”

After a few years working with the district he became a “relief” driver – a driver who fills in on any route. In 2020, he became a dispatch-driver for the district. “He did very well at that,” she said. “He excelled. He liked doing something different every day and he was great with the kids. He was well loved in the department.”

When he worked in the office, Weeden said, Smith filled a void there. “I don’t know if it was because for so long we had so many women in the department. I tell people he leveled out the estrogen level in the office. He was good on the phone with parents, very level-headed.”

On the morning of the shooting parents throughout the district were notified of the active shooter at the high school. “So many people’s lives were changed that day,” Nicole said. “Chris’ story is when we received the text message from our youngest son Lukas in our family chat group, the first thing Chris did was to get into his van and drive up to the high school. He was there before many of the police were, because the bus garage is close. There were kids running out of the school and he helped them. Because of COVID they didn’t have lockers and many didn’t have coats on, they were cold and terrified. And, they saw a familiar face. He got them to safety that day. And, he dropped them off at Meijer and went back to the school and got more kids, dropped them off and went back to the school again. He was not only trying to look for our son, Lukas was still in the building, Jack had already left, he knew a lot of the kids. He said, ‘I’m your bus driver. Come with me.’”

Weeden said she did not know how many trips he made back and forth from the school to Meijer, but she added he came back to the bus garage. “After he wasn’t needed, he came back and hopped in a bus and went back to the high school to see if there was anybody still in lock down who needed a ride. I don’t know how many people he helped, but he was amazing that day.”

Chris is his wife and sons, parents Gary and Pamela Smith, brother Adam (Tasha) Smith, Sister Emily Smith (Bill Schumacher), Brother Abraham (Teanne) Smith, Brother Noah (Tammi) Smith and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are entrusted to Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors, 39 W. Burdick. Visitation will take place at the funeral home on (today) Wednesday from 1 to 8 p.m. and on Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by the funeral. According to Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors’ website, memorial to the family may be made to the family via Venmo (https://venmo.com/u/chrissmithmemorialfund).