Randall, “Randy,” Scott Smit went home to his Savior Saturday, December 2, 2022, at the age of 54.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, James and Anna Smit, maternal grandparents, Elmer and Marie Kadera, father-in-law, Roger Westrate, and his beloved service dog, Delta Air. He is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Jill (Westrate) Smit, his parents, Richard and Judith Smit, his brother and sister-in-law, Bradley and Angela Smit, and their children, Gabriel James and Hannah Marie, his brother and sister-in-law, Christopher Smit and Lisa VanArragon and their son, Moses Kadera, his mother-in-law, Bonnie Westrate, sisters- and brothers-in-law, Jacquelyn and Bruce Lownds, Doug and Lori Westrate, and Deryl and Jennifer Westrate, nephews and nieces Bonny K (Randy), Schuyler (Catherine), Daniel (Alyssa), Luke (Samantha), Jamie, Jillian (Travis), Samantha (Ryan), Erin (Andrew)and fourteen great-nephews and nieces.
Randy’s life reflects his diverse thinking, adventurous spirit, and deep Christian faith. He grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois, spending summers on Goshorn Lake in Saugatuck, Michigan. He attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1986, where he met the love of his life, Jill Westrate. He graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1990, joined AmeriCorps, and taught at the Literacy Council of Chicago. He and Jill married in 1991 and moved to Washington D.C. so that Randy could attend Catholic University. He graduated with an M.A. in Political Theory in 1993. The couple returned to Chicago where he taught Political Science, Ethics, and Philosophy at the College of DuPage, Joliet Junior College, and Wheaton College.
Randy was a gifted writer and public speaker. He became part of the ministry team at Downers Grove Community Church as a lay pastor. In 2002 he and Jill moved to Holland, Michigan where he attended Western Seminary. Randy was ordained by the Reformed Church of America (RCA) in 2005 and served as pastor for The Gathering at Douglas Community Church. He also worked for Western Seminary as a student mentor. He trained in Nonviolent Communication practices and formed the organization Compassionate Connection to guide and nurture wholeness in our relationships with God, self, and others.
Randy’s family and friends will remember him as a true Renaissance man, who loved to debate sports (go Cubs!) as much as theology and politics, was a champion for justice, enjoyed good Bohemian food, and found peace in the outdoors. He was a great storyteller, both funny and thoughtful. He responded to God and the world around him as a poet and painter. He cherished his friends, particularly “The Saugatuck Gang,” a group from his summers on Goshorn Lake, and the lifelong friends he and Jill met at Calvin. Above all, he loved his family, his close-knit extended family stretching from Chicago to Florida, the family he gained in Michigan, and the times they all spent together at the lake, on campouts, at picnics, and around the table.
“But cheer up my good friends, chin up and be glad for though he no longer writes, know this—for a certainty he lives. That is, after all, all that he has ever wanted to do. And can I tell you, despite knowing that you will never be able to read much about it anywhere, ever … well, this author can tell you he’s doing it well, very well indeed and he always will.
Who am I to make such a claim and what qualifies me to tell you this? I am, in a word, Love.”
Randy Smit, “The Writer Who Did not Write,” Touch of Summer, 2012.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at noon on Friday, December 16, with visitation from 10:30 am to 11:45 am, at Hope Church, 77 West 11th Street, Holland, Michigan 49423. The service will be followed by a time of lunch and fellowship where Randy’s friends and family can share memories and stories together.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Randy’s honor to Hope Church, for its Social Justice Initiatives Fund. Envelopes will be available or online donations can be made at https://portal.icheckgateway.com/HopeChurch/, with the memo line: Randy Smit Memorial
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