Obituary of Ralph Edward Smith

Smith, Ralph (Ed), 73, peacefully passed away Sunday, June 4, 2017 after a courageous battle with emphysema. He is survived by his wife, Renate; brother, Roger (Fran); daughter, Christine (Robert); son, Ralph (Patty); grand-son, Zac; step-son, Ric (Anne); and step-daughters, Gretchen, Monika and Heidi. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Dorothy Smith of Redford Township, MI. Ralph graduated from Redford Union High School and enjoyed fast cars and motorcycles during his teen years. He retired from GM Diesel in Detroit. Upon retirement, he and his wife moved north to Marion, Michigan. He enjoyed fishing, including walleye fishing and traveling to northern Ontario. Ed also hunted white-tail deer many years, plus special trips where he bagged wild Russian boar. After moving to Marion, Ralph and his wife Renate made a beautiful home with lots of cattle and many other animals, both domestic and wild, under their care. A short memorial service will be held at Pennway Church of God (Lansing) on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 12:30pm and followed by a luncheon at the church.