Mervyn W. Smith ’74 died on March 1, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(The following was provided by the Grand Rapids Press on March 7, 2025:)
Dr. Mervyn Winston Smith ’74
Dr. Mervyn Winston Smith, M.D., a pillar of his community and a caring brother, father, grandfather, uncle, mentor, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2025, reuniting with the Lord and his beloved wife, Ronette. Born on April 25, 1949, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, to Doris and Leonard Smith, he was the youngest boy of 13 children. His family faced extreme poverty, and he often told stories of stealing mangos and using his resourcefulness and charm to get by. Despite his humbling beginnings, Dr. Smith overcame many obstacles to become a successful and respected physician.
Dr. Smith immigrated to the United States as a teenager and was one of the brightest and most determined students at Cardoza High School in Washington D.C., graduating at the top of his class. He was motivated to pursue a career in medicine due to his mother’s health issues and subsequent death when he was a young boy. He graduated with a B.S. from Bowdoin College in Maine in 1974 and took a job in research at the Children’s Hospital in Boston. In 1985, he earned his medical degree from Hahnemann University Medical School in Philadelphia and began practicing medicine in Burlington County, NJ at the Memorial Hospital.
In 1989, Dr. Smith settled in Grand Rapids, MI and worked under Dr. Peter App. He later founded Michigan Fuller Family Medicine, which he led for over a decade, working tirelessly as a trusted family medicine practitioner to hundreds of patients. He spent many years treating patients at Job Corps Grand Rapids, inspiring young people. Dr. Smith was also a man of deep faith in God through Jesus Christ and went on global medical missions, providing care and healing to underserved patients in Nigeria, Ghana and Haiti. Most recently, he treated home-bound patients across Michigan, always with his friendly and approachable manner.
Beyond medicine, Dr. Smith had a big heart, an even bigger laugh, and loved telling stories. His humor and easy-going attitude made him a loyal friend to many. He was a proud family man who cherished his wife, children, and grandchildren. He was a loving husband through his two marriages, first to Terri Waits-Smith with whom he had two daughters, and later to Ronette Smith with whom he had four daughters and two sons.
Dr. Smith was happiest spending time with his family, especially on trips to the Caribbean where he felt at home in the laid-back culture and island breeze. He was a great outdoorsman, who saved turtles and enjoyed fishing trips, swimming, gardening, and carpentry. He looked forward to the Annual Smith Family Reunion, where he reunited with his siblings, ate his favorite Trinidadian foods like Curry Roti and Bake, and danced to Soca music, pulling his kids onto the dance floor, whether they liked it or not.
Dr. Mervyn W. Smith, M.D., is survived by his eight children, Loreal, Kalia, Melissa, Jasmine, Danielle, Mariah, Nicholas, and Noah; his brothers Errol and Albert; his sisters Maureen, Yvette, Lynette, Marilyn, and Margaret; six grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins.