Michael was 54 at the time of his death.
Ree Drummond is mourning a great loss in her family. The 52-year-old Pioneer Woman star took to Facebook on Wednesday to share that her brother, Michael Smith, died at the age of 54.
"It isn’t possible to sum up the life of someone as perfectly wonderful as my brother Michael, so right now I won’t try," Ree wrote alongside some childhood photos. "He was 17 months older than me, my first friend and buddy, and I’m so grateful for over 50 years of photos and memories. Please pray for my parents, whose devotion to Mike was boundless, and who will feel this loss most acutely. Michael Smith, you were everything."
Ree's sister, Betsy Smith, also posted to Instagram, writing, "We lost Michael, my sweet and wonderful brother, this last weekend. He was one of a kind, and he will be missed by so many people who loved him. I’m very thankful for his life, the connections he made and his caring, fun and independent spirit. Love you forever, Mikey."
Michael's longtime friend, Dan Dalton, also spoke about his impact with local station KTUL, sharing that "Mikey" had special needs but never let that affect his friendships.
"While he was somewhat challenged, he memorized his friend[s] phone numbers and would call them almost daily," Dalton shared.
No cause of death was given but in a Facebook post, Dalton said, "He went fast and did not suffer."
Ree featured Michael on an episode of her Food Network series back in 2013, calling it, "My favorite episode... for obvious reasons."
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