Shante` Renee` Smith

Smith, Shante` Renee` 

   June 12, 1994 ~ November 20, 2017

Age 23

Survived by parents Ronald and Catherine Westman, birth mother Michelle Smith; brothers Dan (Alex) Mike (Tina) Kit Andrew, Karl, Ryan Jay and Alex; sisters Allysa, Ronni, Tori, Edie, Miesha, Keyona and Aaliyah. 12 nieces and nephews and her best friend Ana.

Shante` was crowned “Miss Amazing 2016”.  She was the perfect beauty queen, she loved being the center of attention. She adored movies from the ‘90’s, carrying miniature things in her pockets, pasta and handsome men. Any person Shante` met she made an instant impact on. Shante` is going to be missed by many and was loved by all. Shante` worked for Bellevue Public Schools in their daycare program at Peter Sarpy Elementary School.

Shante’ weighed 3 pounds 14 ounces when she was born.  When she was 8 hours old, she lost most of her intestines and her fight began.  She got her first transplant when she was 2, her second when she 4 and her last when she was 12.  Her personality was infectious and you could see her smile from a mile away. She never let the tubes, pumps or medical problems slow her down. Despite her multiple surgeries and days, weeks and months spent in the hospital, she always had a bright spirit. She preferred to have her hospital door open so she could see all the activity going on in the halls and beckon the nurses then she wanted to have her movie changed.  She loved her nurses and doctors, she knew them all by name and they all treated her like a princess.

As a baby Shante` was a delight, she had the cutest chubby cheeks from steroids, her hair was always done fabulously and she was usually dressed to the 9s. Although she often had a feeding tube and backpack, that didn’t slow our girl down. She was most comfortable being the center of attention. Singing and dancing being one of her favorite ways to make people smile. She could carry a tune better than most people but her dance moves were really the most memorable thing about Shante. That girl could move.  Shante has always taken a fondness for certain things and as a child she most loved her blankets, Shirley Temple, Barney, Disney Characters, cool ranch Doritos (her fingers would be coated in Dorito dust) and miniature things -she carried most of those loves to adulthood.

Shante` loved old movies and television shows.  Her favorites included “Full House”, “Back to the Future”, “Fast and the Furious”, “Jersey Shore”,  “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, “Major Payne”, “10 Things I Hate About You”, and most of the old Disney movies. She could recite all of lines from her favorites and often referred to the characters as her best friends. When asked where she would like to vacation the answer was easy for Shante’ “Jersey Shore, I know people there”

Shante’ was an avid Paul Walker fan, only posthumously. She found him quite attractive and would often comment on that, we would find pieces of paper and notebooks throughout the house with things like “Paul Walker is the best actor ever” “He’s the most handsome man”. Shante’ liked other actors of course, Jason Statham, Channing Tatum, Kevin Hart, Heath Ledger, Will Smith, Justin Timberlake, and Michael J. Fox shouldn’t be left out.

Our darling was always a fashionable dresser. She loved blue jeans (high waisted), tee shirts (tucked in), belts, bracelets and hats.  She wore a beautiful formal dress when she competed in the Miss Amazing contest, but she felt best dressed in her black pin striped suit she performed in.  She wore that outfit out to dinner after the talent show and tried to pick up random cute guys.

Everywhere Shante` went in Bellevue she saw people she knew.  She would recognize them all.  She knew staff, parents and students.

Bellevue Public Schools also treated her like royalty.  When she was in pre-school, the principal would let Shante waltz into her office, snag things off her desk and take them back to the classroom. As Shante made her way down the hallways she would stop in random classrooms to show the teachers and students her shoes and stolen prizes.  As the years went on BPS continued that treatment.

Although Shante was our baby, she wasn’t a baby at all. She had quite a full adult life mostly thanks to her best friend Ana who she loved dearly. They went to movies together, drove around town together, and the week before she went to into the hospital they went to Vala’s Pumpkin patch.

Shante` also held a part time job at Peter Sarpy Elementary School in the before and after school daycare program. She was loved by her coworkers and students, instead of watching over the little kids Shante` would be right in the mix playing with them.

Shante` was larger than life, her personality and quirks made her one in a million. She brought joy to so many people and will be greatly missed. As hard as it will be to go on without Shante`, her spirit will move on with all of us and no doubt she is in a better place. If she was here she would be quoting lines from another favorite movie; as Dr. Emmett Brown would say to a young Marty McFly “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

Memorial Service: Church of the Holy Spirit, 1305 Thomas Drive, Bellevue, 68005

Inurnment: Church Columbarium

Memorials to: Solid Organ Transplant at Clarkson Tower, Nebraska Medicine, 4350 Dewey Avenue, Omaha, NE 68105