Michele A. Smith

Michele Ann (Knight) Smith of Indianapolis, IN, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister passed away on July 17, 2021 at the age of 77.
She was born April 16, 1944 to Mary E. (Brown) Knight and Elbert L. Knight. After graduating from Arsenal Technical High School in 1962, Michele began a life-long career in civil service with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service located on the former Fort Benjamin Harrison campus. She met her husband, Len Smith Sr of Colchester, United Kingdom, and they married in 1965. She then paused her career for 14 years to raise her only child, Len Jr. Michelle went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in Adult Education from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Michele accepted Jesus Christ as her lord and savior during a Billy Graham crusade in 1959 which began a lifelong commitment to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to serving in His name. In her time of ministry, she served in several churches, most recently as an Elder where she started and ran a large food pantry. Over the years, she opened her home to many young women who needed stability and a mentor in Christ. She also learned Spanish so she could teach English to the Spanish-speaking members of her church. She was known to frequently approach total strangers asking for an opportunity to pray for them and to share the “good news”.
She took great pride in her three grandchildren Ian, Erin, and Alaina. Over the years she would share her faith and host sleepovers where movies would be watched, monkey bread would be baked, and memories would be made. “Grammy” always had a hug and a smile for her grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister Virginia L. Bowman, brother Elbert L. “Sonny” Knight, and brother-in-law Howard Bowman. She is survived by her son, daughter-in-law Amy, three grandchildren, sister Barbara J. DeHart (Jack), brother Mark A. Knight (Karen), sister-in-law Judy Knight, lifelong friend Margaret Persinger, and many nieces and nephews.
A visitation is scheduled from 5 to 7 PM on Thursday July 22 at Flanner Buchanan-Oaklawn Memorial Gardens (Conner Suite), 9700 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Dementia Society of America,  P.O. Box 600 Doylestown, PA.  18901.