GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The Grand Haven community is mourning the loss of Coast Guard Festival Director and retired Coast Guard Commander Michael Smith who passed away last Thursday at the age of 70.
Smith had directed the Coast Guard Festival for 17 years.
Local business owner and festival board president Sharon Behm said Smith's impact in the area went far beyond his service both in uniform and for the festival.
"From, you know, township supervisors, to just an average person, an average child walking down the street - everyone who met Mike, whether you've met him once, or a million times, he left an imprint in your life," Behm said.
After the festival announced Smith's passing, community members flocked to Facebook to share their experiences with whom they saw as a generous leader known for his bright personality, dedicated service and unique festival outfits.
"Mike wasn't just about the Coast Guard festival or the Coast Guard," Behm said. "He was about the entire northwest Ottawa County. He touched everybody."
In the wake of his passing, Behm said organizers and staff have made sure that this summer's festival will go on without missing a beat.
"First of all, most of our events are solid events," Behm said. "Second of all, Mike had a great way of hiring excellent staff. Annie, Amy and Sherry are invaluable during this time, always but especially this year."
Behm said the best way for festival organizers to honor Smith's memory is to get to work, making sure his legacy lives on through the festival and community to which he dedicated his life for decades.
"Although Mike Smith was the conductor, we are all the orchestra," Behm said. "And we are committed to making sure that Mike's passion lives on in the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival."
Behm said she hopes the community will remember Smith's service and commitment to the area.
"What I hope they take away is, first of all, his passion for the United States Coast Guard, and also his passion for the festival," Behm said. "He was a party planner, and he knew how to throw a party. But he also knew how to make build relationships with people."
2023 was expected to be Smith's last year as director.
Behm said the Festival Board will be meeting tonight to start discussing who might take over as interim director and who could take over on a more permanent basis.
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