A Celebration of Life service for Tanner Patrick Smith, 21, Lawrence, will take place on Saturday, September 15th, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St, Lawrence, KS.
Tanner was a KU student majoring in mechanical engineering.and is the beloved son of Patrick Smith & Kelley White-Smith of Lawrence, KS, and brothers to Taylor Smith and Keifer Smith also of Lawrence, KS. He is survived by his grandmother, Kaye White and many aunts and uncles including Wayne and Jennifer Kelly (Lawrence) with cousins Rachel , Emma and Nicole. Kevin White and Kathy Crosby-White (Gardner) with cousins Brandy and Britain. Travis Manual and Erin White Manual (Olathe) with cousins Sarah and Scott. Rosemary and Bob Smith (Shawnee) with cousin Tara. He was born February 22nd, 1997 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital along with his twin Taylor in Lawrence, KS.
He had been battling some chronic conditions including fibromyalgia, erythromyalgia and chronic insomnia for about 2 years. He passed away on September 10th, 2018 in Lawrence, KS
Thoughts from Taylor (Tanner’s twin brother)
We were born to our parents, Kelley White-Smith and Patrick Smith. He and I went to school together since kindergarten, and were later joined by our little brother Keifer Smith. We all attended Sunflower Elementary and Southwest Jr. High School as those schools were but a simple walk from our backyard. Tanner and I then later attended Lawrence High School, part of the first class of 9th graders to attend the school, which was a part of a larger restructuring of the district at the time. There Tanner continued to excel in the math and sciences, and confirmed his interest in engineering. We also participated together on the cross country team together. He hated it. And with good reason. I think he found himself asking “what reasonable person would do this to themselves?” I asked myself that nearly everyday as well. Come senior year, our younger brother Keifer made it to Lawrence High as a freshman. Tanner and I graduated at the end of that school year as part of the class of 2015.
Tanner and I then went our separate ways academically. He began studying mechanical engineering at KU within KU’s School of Engineering. It was while attending KU that Tanner began to experience what would later be diagnosed as chronic insomnia, erythromyalgia, and fibromyalgia.
Outside of school Tanner liked to build. He built his own 3D printer and even used it for an engineering competition while in high school. We were both working together to build a CNC router, though it never came to total fruition. He would often help me in my own home renovations or in my work as an apartment maintenance man. Whether I needed an extra hand or just a friendly and intelligent mind to pick, discuss, or laugh with. Of late, Tanner had developed a passion for a certain video game, Halo Wars 2. I think it’s worth noting that he had managed to become a top 200 player globally. I personally thought this to be absolutely badass. I will certainly miss my brother dearly. He will be missed by so many. He is loved by so many still. After spending 21 years with him, he naturally left his mark on me, like so many others. My newest challenge is to somehow become used to life without a brother and a friend that I have always had. A task that for my family and I seems nearly, if not absolutely impossible. Tanner, we love you so much.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the Lawrence Free Methodist Church, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
