b"OBITUARYJohn Michael Smith,December 26, 1958April, 2021J ohnMichaelSmithwasborn(Elaine)SmithofAlbertLea,MN; December 26, 1958 in Denver,hismotherEvaMaeThomas;his ColoradotohisparentsJohnVbrothersThomasMarcSmith, SmithandEvaMaeThomas.HeandJamesMauriceSmith,allof was the second of five children bornDenver, his sister Evonne Michelle inthefamily,includingThomas,(Keith)SylvainofEagle,CO. James, Marilyn and Evonne.MarilynGriggsofHoustonTX; Johnwasalwaysconsideredathe mother of his children Phyllis neatchild,somuchsothathePorter-Smith;theuncleofDion would take off his dirty clothes andRiboinofAZ,andkedraGriggs-fold them neatly and put them inChapmanofHoustonTX.anda the dirty clothes basket. I remem- host of aunts uncles cousins other bermeandafewofmyfriendsrelatives family and friends.meetingJohnMichaelSmithfor the first time at the University of Colorado when the school had a summer program to recruit more blacks to attend, John was clean well dressed, leather jacket with a medium size afro. He told us that hisnamewasJohnShaft,even thoughhelookedlikeayoung Richard Roundtree the actor that playedShaftweknewhewasn't tellingusthetruth.Needless tosay,wefelloutlaughinghe becamemyfriendeversince. (fromthepublisherBOCNEWS Randy M. McCowan)JohnMichaelreceivedhis DiplomafromThomasJefferson High School in Denver Colorado, he was accepted into the Air Force AcademyinColoradoSprings, JohnreceivedhisBachelorof Science in Urban Ministries from Aspen Christian College in Aurora Colorado. Knowingthathewascalledto theministryhewasafaithful memberofBibleWayChurchof JesusChristforover20years. HeservedasanElder,Pastor, and Bishop. Pastor John Michael Smith met his wife, Phyllis Porter, (daughter of the late Bishop P.H. Porter)andmarriedAugust29, 1998.Thereweretwochildren born to this union John Michael SmithII,andJohnitaLea'jana'e Smith. Pastor John Michael Smith was adevotedandlovingfather,He leaves to cherish his memory, his sonJohnMichael(Paola)Smith II, of Rapid City SD; his daughter Johnita L. Smith of Aurora, CO, hisfatherJohnVernonSmith You will be missed.but never forgotten.BODY OF CHRIST NEWS JUNE 2021 9"