PEYTON'S STORY
Peyton was born on April 8, 2002 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Dani and Matt Smith while they were stationed at Tinker Air Force Base.
He was a 2020 graduate of Montpelier Senior High School and was enrolled at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT. He had earned the esteemed Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2018. As the son of United States Air Force Officers, he embraced travel, maintained a large network of friends, and attended schools both domestically and internationally, including Oklahoma, Germany, Italy, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Nevada, and The Netherlands.
As an avid member, participant, and growing influencer of the sneaker culture community for many years, Peyton excitedly shared his passion with friends and family members. Traveling with his brother Keegan and his parents to Nike headquarters in Eugene, Oregon in the summer of 2019, Peyton collaborated with some of the world’s most innovative sneaker designers to design a custom pair of Nike Air Jordan IV’s as part of his Make-A-Wish.
Peyton enjoyed sports on all levels. While in high school he played football, basketball, baseball and also went on to manage the boys’ basketball team. Being a New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan was always a hot topic of conversation wherever he was living! When the Red Sox won the World Series in 2018, he rode on the lead Duck Boat with Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz during the celebration parade through Boston.
Music played a large role in Peyton’s life. Travis Scott, Kanye West, or even Elton John could often be heard coming through the car speakers or his headphones. He had started to build up an extensive record collection that he was proud to show off.
Peyton passed on October 21, 2020 at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont. His memory will forever be celebrated by his mom and dad, his brother Keegan, and their beloved Labrador Benny. He will also forever be in the hearts and minds of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, his Air Force family, and the countless friends he made along the way.
