STEVEN AN"DREW" SMITH WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 8,1991 AND PASSED AWAY ON   OCTOBER 31,2008. HE WAS SURVIVED BY HIS PARENTS RONALD AND LISA NOBLING SMITH OF BENSON, N.C. DREW WAS VERY SPECIAL FROM THE TIME HE WAS BORN UNTIL THE TIME HE WENT HOME. HE ALWAYS HAD SUCH A SENSE OF HUMOR AND A CARING HEART. DREW WOULD LIFT ANYONE UP WHEN THEY WERE DOWN, WHEN HE WAS IN THE ROOM IT WAS MUCH BRIGHTER. HE DID NOT CARE IF YOU WERE YOUNG OR OLD RICH OR POOR, HE LOVED EVERYONE. DREW LOVED AND ENJOYED LIFE MORE THAN MOST. HIS HOBBIES WERE FISHING, HUNTING, AND WORKING ON CARS. DREW TOOK SUCH GREAT CARE OF HIS MOTHER WHO HAS M.S. AND IS CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR. DREW TOUCHED SO MANY PEOPLE IN HIS SHORT LIFE, AND I AM SO PROUD TO HAVE HAD HIM AS MY NEPHEW.

A BOOK WAS WRITTEN  AND PUBLISHED IN HIS HONOR BY ONE OF HIS GREAT  FRIENDS, APRIL CRAVEN

"HE CHANGED IT ALL"

DREW WAS A FUN, CAREFREE, AND LOVING YOUNG MAN WHO ENJOYED LIFE MORE THAN ANYTHING. HE WAS THERE E FOR HIS MOTHER WHO HAS M.S A DEBILITATING DISEASE THAT CONFINES HER TO A WHEELCHAIR, HELPING HER IN AND OUT OF THE SHOWER, HOUSE, AND CAR. HE WAS A FLY BY THE SEAT OF HIS PANTS TYPE OF GUY. IF SOMEONE CALLED HIM AT 11:00 AT NIGHT WANTING TO GO OUT, OR NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING, HE WOULD GO , NO QUESTIONS ASKED. HE WOULD PARTY ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND, AND HAD MORE FRIENDS THAN MOST PEOPLE HAVE IN A LIFETIME. HE THOUGHT NOTHING OF GETTING IN THE MUD PIT FOR HIS FRIENDS TO HELP THEM GET THEIR TRUCK UNSTUCK. TO PUT IT SIMPLY, DREW LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST, NEVER PLANNING OR WORRYING ABOUT LIVES MINUSCULE PROBLEMS. HE MADE EVERY DAY COUNT, EVEN THE DAY THAT WOULD PROVE TO BE HIS LAST HERE ON EARTH.

HE HAD JUST KILLED HIS FIRST DEER OF THE SEASON ON THE MORNING OF OCT.31 2008 AND THEN WENT TO SCHOOL. HE WORKED ALL SUMMER LONG TO GAIN THE CREDITS TO ALLOW HIM TO GRADUATE WITH HIS CLASS OF 2009. THAT EVENING HE DECIDED TO GO TO A TURKEY SHOOT LATER WITH A FRIEND. DREW WAS NEVER KNOW FOR SAFE DRIVING, HE HAD TENDENCY OF SPEEDING. NEVERTHELESS, HE WAS A GREAT YOUNG MAN, WHO HAD A LOT GOING FOR HIM. ONCE HE SAID HIS GOODBYES TO HIS PARENTS AND HIS LITTLE BROTHER HE WENT FOR HIS LAST RIDE. HIS FRIEND WAS GOING TO DRIVE TO THE TURKEY SHOOT BECAUSE DRES CAR WAS NOT WORKING QUITE RIGHT. THEY STARTED OFF AND WITHIN A HALF MILE FROM HIS HOUSE DREWS FRIEND TOOK THE CURVE TO FAST AND FLIPPED THE TRUCK FOUR TIMES BEFORE LANDING IN THE DITCH, KILLING DREW ON IMPACT. HIS FRIEND WALKED AWAY WITH A BROKEN ARM.

THIS WAS THE MOST TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE. I HAD LOST ACQUAINTANCES OR EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS WHOM I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW. DREW HAD BEEN MY FRIEND SINCE I WAS IN THE FIRST GRADE, WE RODE THE BUS TOGETHER, AND I WATCHED HIM GROW AS I DID. I WATCHED HIM GO FROM SWEET AND INNOCENT IN ELEMENTARY TO GANGSTER IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND FINALLY BACK TO HIS REAL ROOTS AS A PLAIN COUNTRY BOY IN HIGH SCHOOL. I HAD NEVER FELT THIS KIND OF HURT BEFORE, I WAS  SO MAD, SAD , AND CONFUSED AT EVERYTHING, EVEN GOD. FOR THE MANY WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, I WAS SURE HE WOULD COME UP BEHIND ME AND SAY "GOTCHA" AS HE WAS ALWAYS ONE TO PLAY PRANKS. HE STILL HASN'T MADE HIS WAY BACK AND THE MORE TIME THAT PASSES THE MORE IT IS CONFIRMED IN MY HEART AND HEAD THAT HE IS REALLY GONE AND MY LIFE IS FOREVER CHANGED.

A FEW WEEKS BEFORE DREWS ACCIDENT I WAS IN A WRETCHED PLACE IN MY LIFE. SCHOOL WASN'T GOING WELL. I HAD TO WORK EXTRA HOURS TOP MAKE ENDS MEET, I WAS AT THE POINT WHERE I HAD CONSIDERED QUITTING SCHOOL. WHEN HE PASSED A QUESTION THAT I HAD ASKED MYSELF A FEW WEEKS PRIOR CAME BACK TO ME WITH ANSWER. I HAD ASKED MYSELF "WHY SHOULD I LIVE MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST?" NOW THE ANSWER WAS VERY CLEAR, BECAUSE TOMORROW I MAY NOT HAVE A LIFE TO LIVE. I THEN SAW GOD ACT IN MY LIVE IN A STRANGE WAY. I FOUND OUT HE HAD BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

THE DAY OF DREWS WAKE DR. PEGGY SMITH MY ADVISOR CALLED ME TO SEE HOW I WAS DOING. AS WE TALKED I WONDERED HOW SHE KNEW ABOUT THE ACCIDENT, HOW SHE KNEW THAT I KNEW DREW, AND HOW SHE GOT MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. TURNS OUT THAT THE WOMAN THAT SIGNED ME UP FOR MY FIRST CLASSES IN COLLEGE SOON BECAME MY GREAT FRIEND. SHE KNEW DREW AND HIS FAMILY FOR A LONG TIME, AND SHE AND I TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THE FEELINGS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH ME. I BELIEVE THAT GOD SENT HER TO ME KNOWING THAT DREW WAS GOING TO PASS. SHE HELPED ME REALIZE THAT I NEEDED AND STILL WANTED TO ATTEND SCHOOL AND CONTINUE WORKING FOR MY DEGREE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

LOOKING BACK ON DREWS LIFE I REALIZED THAT HE LOVED LIFE, HE HAD FUN, ENJOYED FRIENDS AND FAMILY, HE DIDN'T LET ANYONE HOLD HIM BACK OR TELL HIM NO. I DON'T REMEMBER A TIME THAT DREW WAS NOT SMILING, LAUGHING, OR HAVING A GREAT TIME. THEN I LOOKED AT MY LIFE, AT THE SAME BASIC AGE, HE HAD ALREADY ENJOYED LIFE 100 TIMES MORE THAN I HAD. I WAS ALWAYS SO SERIOUS AND NOTHING COULD BE PLANNED ENOUGH AND I COULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO LIST. I NEVER HAD A TEEN LIFE, NEVER GOING TO PARTIES, FOOTBALL GAMES, OR JUST HANGING OUT AT A FRIENDS HOUSE. I WAS ALL BUSINESS ALL THE TIME. AT DREWS WAKE THERE WERE OVER 2,000 PEOPLE, IT COULDN'T BE HELD IN THE FUNERAL HOME DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ATTENDING. TEENAGERS FROM THE NEARBY HIGH SCHOOL WERE BUSED IN TO ATTEND THE WAKE. THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE TOUCHED BY HIM AND FOR REASONS GOOD OR BAD EVERYONE IN TOWN KNEW DREW., OR AT LEAST HAD HEARD OF HIM. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT KNEW AND CARED ABOUT HIM WERE THERE NOT ONLY TO GRIEVE BUT TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL A SLIGHTLY SMALLER CROWD ATTENDED DUE TO SCHOOL OR WORK, BUT THERE WERE STILL ENOUGH VEHICLES TO STRETCH FOR MILES. WATCHING  THIS HAPPEN I STARTED LOOKING AT MY OWN LIFE AND WHAT POINT I WAS AT IN MY LIFE.

I REALIZE I WANTED WHAT HE HAD. I WANTED TO KNOW THAT WHEN IT IS MY TIME TO GO HOME I WILL HAVE 2000 PEOPLE AT MY WAKE AND FUNERAL TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. SO BECAUSE OF DREW'S DEATH I HAVE BECOME A BETTER PERSON. I'VE BECOME A  PERSON THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO PLAN EVERYTHING OUT, THAT MAKES TIME TO HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, A PERSON WHO TRIES TO BE NICE TO EVERYONE, AND BY  DOING THIS HOPEFULLY I WILL HAVE CHANGED AT LEAST ONE PERSONS LIFE THE WAY DREW CHANGED MINE.