Dusty

Dustin “Dusty” Ryan Smith: February 5, 1982 – April 13, 2025

"Losing a loved one to drug addiction is like having two people pass away. The first person you lose is the one before the addiction and the second person is the one you learned to love from a distance. And in death, your heart breaks twice."

Dustin (Dusty) Ryan Smith (Houston, Texas), age 43, passed away suddenly on Sunday, April 13, 2025, due to an accidental drug overdose. We will always remember the good he brought into our lives... his beautiful smile, his contagious laughter, his happy dance, his humor, his love for fishing and the beach, his warm hugs, his musical gifts and his compassionate heart. Gosh, he was so much fun, and he loved big. We will cherish all the wonderful memories we have of him.

During his periods of sobriety, he accomplished great things and was even a hero to many in their time of need. He was a fierce protector of all the littles in our family and he was such a fun Uncle. We know he could have seen himself in all of them. Some of their talents remind us of his. He made us all laugh and he made us all feel loved. He was a bright light, and he brought joy and wit and love and creativity into our lives. He left us with the most precious of gifts and we will always be grateful as they will be a constant reminder of all his most beautiful qualities.

Addiction is tricky because in his life's journey we were often gifted moments of the person we knew and loved. We held on tight to those moments, hoping, praying that in those moments there would be a turning point and that he’d come back to us. But his struggles were greater, and no amount of love, support, encouragement or treatment could take away the hold it had on him. We grieve for who he could have been had drugs not entered his life as it certainly stole everything from him and took him way too soon from those that loved him.

Life for our family was so hard for so long trying to cope with all the hurt that came from his addiction, but it taught us so much about unconditional love. We hope Dusty knew how much we loved him. We envision him free of struggles, in the arms of Jesus and watching over us from the most beautiful beach in Heaven. We are going to miss him forever.

Dusty is survived by his parents, Michael and Bettye Smith, his sister Cheyenna Smith Brehm and husband James, his brother, Michael W. Smith and significant other, Tina Kirkpatrick, his young son, Michael J. Smith, a very special niece, Cheyenne L. Smith-Brehm who adored her Uncle “D”, nieces Sarah Brehm, Jenna Kirkpatrick, Julie Kirkpatrick and nephews Tyler “TJ” Brehm and Eric Brehm as well as a host of loyal friends and loved ones throughout his life.

A private family gathering was held on Sunday, April 20, 2025 to honor Dustin’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a moment of prayer be sent on behalf of those battling addiction and for the families that love them.