Theodore James Smith (Teddy), was born on April 26, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada and passed on December 13, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. He was the beloved son of Dayle Marie and Gerald Francis Smith, brother to Jackson Richard and Gerald Francis Smith Jr. (Jerry), a cherished grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, and member of the community.

Teddy grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada; Tri-Cities, Washington; Walla Walla, Washington; and Portland, Oregon. He lived and worked in Waco, Nebraska for a time before returning to Portland.

Teddy had an exciting childhood growing up in Southeast Washington. There was camping, fishing, hockey, football, baseball, BMX, skiing, sledding, skateboarding, swimming, and hiking. He loved nature and could speak endlessly about plants, animals, rocks, minerals, mountains, and the indigenous history and stories related to them.

Teddy had many accomplishments in his brief time with us. He was a graduate of the Outward Bound Leadership School and Wilson (now Ida B. Wells) High School. He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. He purchased and remodeled a 150-year old church in Waco, Nebraska and turned it into a home, using construction and landscaping experience he gained working side-by-side with his father and from a Wilson HS trade apprenticeship program. He had two years of college at Portland State University, studying philosophy, poetry, literature and environmental studies - during which he chaired the Western Philosophy club. Being excited about so many things, he could have only just begun.

Teddy could be characterized as bright with a beautiful smile, good posture with curly hair like his mother. His eyes were hazel with flecks of gold and framed by long lashes. His opinions were strong and backed with a depth of knowledge surprising for someone his age. He especially studied nature; he knew the names and characteristics of all the plants that were native to this part of the country. He tutored his parents on how to cultivate their fruit trees, vegetables, berries, vines, and flowers, and how to keep them naturally safe from pests.

Teddy had a spiritual outlook that he inherited from his grandmother, Yvette. He tackled the thoughts of man head-on and was not intimidated by great literature and art. He developed, in a short time, a love of philosophy and literature, with a deep appreciation he shared with his father. He had a well developed sense of irony and an easy-going sense of humor. He was a student of both Western and Eastern philosophy, and deeply resonated with Buddhist and Hindu concepts of spirituality.

Teddy was very much a seeker with a private nature. He had been working on expressing himself through poetry and put together a number of poems that he was excited to see published. Teddy was a generous and sensitive friend and wouldn't hesitate to give time and resources to his friends when they needed it, and stuck with them through thick and thin.

Teddy loved music and could carry a tune, right along with his mother. He was appreciative of many genres, especially jazz. Teddy loved spices and cooking, and would carefully watch his mother in the kitchen and cook for himself, always adding lots of garnishes and condiments. His favorite foods were exotic and exciting to us. He and his mother were always exploring new dishes - they even began pickling and fermenting fruits and vegetables together.

Teddy was keenly aware of the larger world and was fortunate to have traveled to Mexico, Canada, and Japan during his lifetime. He attended the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and made origami cranes with the locals; he felt bonded to that history because his great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, but also because he was keenly aware that the weapon was partly developed in his hometown. In spirit he traveled through time and space through voracious literary consumption.

Teddy was with us for far too short a time, but he left us with enough to remember him as a wonderful man. His soul is vast and vibrant, we will see him in every spring and every rainbow. He will be a tree in his next life and will be a home to birds, bees and butterflies and all the other beautiful beings given a moment of life by this planet.

We will love and miss you forever, Teddy Bear.

For those who wish to leave a gift in his honor, please see below to donate a tree to Friends of Trees.