September 18, 1989 - January 12, 2023
Christian Thomas Smith (33) beloved son to Amy Croft and Mike Smith, younger brother to Shane McFaddin and Kaitlyn Johnson (Kyle), big brother to Libby Smith (Jose), favorite uncle to nieces Khloe and Coral, and grandson to John and Agnes McFaddin, went to sleep on January 11, 2023 and never woke again. During his 33 years in Spokane he attended a few schools from Hutton to Rogers, ultimately finishing up his secondary education with a proudly earned GED. Recognized by a variety of coworkers for being a dedicated employee, one of his first jobs was at Broadway Foods where he was respected and liked for his fairness, humor, and ability to get along with all kinds of people in a diverse neighborhood. One of his seasonal jobs found him working for the City of Spokane where he was fondly remembered for going the extra mile and not being afraid of hard work or getting his hands (and everything else dirty) never shying away from a tough job, and leaving his coworkers laughing, and (of course) working harder so he didn’t make them look bad! For the past seven years he worked for Phat Panda in Security where he was known for making his coworkers laugh with him while keeping the peace, being kind, reducing tense moments, upholding safety, and putting people at ease. As a Security Officer Christian was dedicated to avoiding violence if at all possible, always aware of the potential for bad stuff to happen, but highly successful at calming potential trouble. He knew the perpetrator was desperate or they wouldn’t be in that position. With an outgoing and friendly demeaner he had a bunch of friends, some that he grew up with and others that he met throughout his life. They were drawn to his wonderful sense of humor and positive energy on all sorts of (sometimes crazy) adventures. Though never perfect, he maintained high expectations for himself and had the best intentions in his relationships with others whether friends or family. At the age of 3 he survived a rare kidney cancer that took a toll on his little body. Later in his life he explained his abdominal scar and the hole in his chest from the central line as the result of a gunshot wound! The long but ultimately successful treatment with chemo left him with some permanent heart issues, but Christian never let that stop him from leading a robust life and finding reasons to celebrate that life as often as he could. Christian adored animals, from dogs to cats to ferrets, etc. If an animal needed a home, Christian was their advocate. The last dog he adopted was Fivel who like the rest of his friends and family is missing him. Fortunately, Fivel will always have a home with Christian’s family. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that you make a donation to your favorite animal shelter in Christian’s name. Or, if you are able to, please rescue or adopt an animal who needs a good home. To honor Christian’s impact on Earth there will be a Celebration of Life at 12 noon upstairs at Market Street Pizza on February 4th. Please join Christian’s family and friends as they gather to share pizza and tell stories of this young man who will continue to be smiling in their memories. Likely, there will be some tears, but those tears will be accompanied by laughter and a lot of love.
