Michael J. "Smaz" Smazenka

An amazing man went to heaven to be with his parents, Martin and Lela, whom he loved dearly. Mike wanted to keep his five-year battle with kidney cancer private and fought hard to win but it appears that God was ready to have him in heaven on June 22, 2016, at the age of 68. He married Sandy (Stark-Baysden) on September 4, 1981, and had nearly 35 great years of loving life together. They worked, golfed and played cards together, took many bus trips to the casino, and enjoyed taking cruises and traveling to Paris, London and many other locations in the U.S. They both frequently expressed God had blessed their lives together. Sandy was Mike’s biggest fan and cheerleader through life and with his battle with cancer. Mike graduated from Bryan High School in 1965 and attended Tri-State. He worked 37 years at General Tire/Continental Tire as a band builder and retired at the age of 55 so he could enjoy his many interests. He bowled in two leagues at the Bryan Lanes for 40 plus years and participated in numerous tournaments both in and out of state. He was very proud to achieve a 299 and two 300 games. Mike also served as the Association Manager for the Bryan USBC Men’s Bowling Association for nearly 35 years. He golfed at Suburban in Bryan Eagles golf league for nearly 40 years but did not achieve his goal of a hole in one. He enjoyed going on fishing and golfing trips with his buddies and eating out and playing cards with his many good friends. He was a fan of the Cleveland Indians and Browns and loved flying his OSU Buckeye flag on game days. He was a wonderful father to Mark (Sheila) Baysden of Butler, Indiana, and Renée (Bill) Trout of Perrysburg, Ohio, and would do anything to help them. Mike’s true passion was his grandchildren, Erin Cieslak, McCullough and Payton Baysden and Mason Trout. He never missed an opportunity to spend time with them starting as babies by babysitting, then attending all school or sport activities. He was the coolest grandpa around since he texted them, played online computer games and even had his own Xbox with the name “Cool Max Zapper” so he could be involved with their interests. He loved his brother, Martin (Bonnie) Smazenka, of Bryan, niece, Rebecca, and nephews, Keith and Marty. Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2016, from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. with a service celebrating his life at 3:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 860 West Mulberry Street, Bryan, Ohio. The family will hold a private burial at a future date. Instead of flowers, which are only temporary, please consider making a difference in someone’s life by donating to Cancer Assistance of Williams County or an organization of the donor’s choice.