Late on the morning of May 30, Michele Yvette (Marcellin) Smith — with her hand on her Bible, heart set on Jesus and surrounded by loved ones — completed her earthly journey and passed through heaven’s gates.
One of the few advantages of battling MSA the past several years is that Michele’s love for God and her people grew exponentially. Despite this dreaded disease slowly destroying her body, it could not touch her spirit. Michele continued to shine brightly for Jesus ‘til the very end — continually thinking of others and constantly living out the principles of God’s word.
Although Michele was born two months early on April 27, 1962, in southern California, it was still 10 minutes after her identical twin sister, Minette. Her parents Louis and Linda Marcellin and older sister Melissa formed a close-knit family that literally provided what Michele would call a charmed childhood.
Michele relished growing up in the church and was baptized when she was 7 years old. While attending Angeles Crest Christian Camp as a teenager, and with the guidance of her older sister Melissa as her camp counselor, Michele fully committed her whole self to living all for God and never looked back.
Both Minette and Michele attended Biola University, where the first person Michele met at a freshman ice cream social ended up being her adored husband of 38 years, Christopher Smith.
Chris and Michele were married June 8, 1985, and served at Angeles Crest Christian Camp for nearly a decade. While living in the mountains at camp, they added Keagan, Kailey, Sawyer, Sydney and Kassidy to their family. Sullivan was born soon afterward while they lived the city life in southern California.
In 1999, Michele moved to Pagosa Springs with her beloved family. It was a dream come true for Michele to home-school her children and live life to the fullest in their mountain paradise.
Michele was instrumental in starting Visiting Angels Home Care in Pagosa Springs, where, for the last 13 years, she and Chris have counted it a privilege to serve and bless those in need.
Michele’s only hesitation in heading heavenward was the heartache of leaving her precious people behind, including her husband, Chris; daughter Kailey and husband Kyle (Ivy, Erin and Robin) Wiggers; son Sawyer and wife Hadley (Louis, Charlie and Teddy); twin daughters Sydney and husband Tadd (Abel, Eden and Jedd) Quiller and Kassidy (Titus, Ezra and Renley); son Sully and wife Ellen (Quinn); grandsons Kai and Liam; and her mom, sisters, brothers-in-law and so many dearly loved nieces, nephews, mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.
But the undeniable fact that she would be greeted in heaven by her hero daddy, firstborn son Keagan, and Jesus himself gave her continual hope despite the constant hard she recently endured and helped her stay faithful to the end.
