Anthony (“Ant”) Lee Smithson, Jr., of Bryson City, NC, age 36, died Sunday, July 27, 2025, at home. He is survived by his partner, Samantha (“Sami”) Marsden, Bryson City; parents, Tony and Deborah Smithson, Northport, AL; and a brother, Zachary (Mary) Smithson, along with his nephew, Arlo, from Cleveland, OH. He was blessed to have all grandparents still living: Morris and Addie (Bobbie) Smithson, Cottondale, AL, and Eugene and Betty Rogers, Northport, AL. An uncle, Larry (Liz) Rogers and aunts, Nancy Walker and Pam Parsons, also survive him.

Ant, lovingly referred to as “Lee” by his family, was born August 22, 1988, in New Orleans, LA. He lived in several states and two foreign countries (Trinidad and Colombia). In The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the phrase, “Not all those who wander are lost.” Those words epitomize the man that was Ant Smithson. His free spirit found many places to call “home,” as his adventures took him across the globe, until he finally settled in the Nantahala Gorge of North Carolina. The beloved Smoky Mountains became his home for the last decade. Amongst the forest trees he found a solace that he couldn’t find elsewhere. He loved the mountains, the rivers, the wilderness, and the sense of peace he found there.

He had so many passions; it would be hard to list them all. He was especially enthusiastic about music: he loved to lose himself in listening to live shows, and he played an assortment of instruments that ranged from trumpet to ukulele, to the guitar and the bass. He was such an old soul, with a love for old books and history of forgotten places. He loved taking broken things and fixing them, bicycles and antique vehicles. One of his pride and joys was his 1982 Datsun diesel pickup: it had no AC, no key start (or stop), a manual transmission, rusted through floorboards, a leaking hood, and an engine that put out about 72 horsepower. Ant was scrappy, persistent, and creative – with the help of friends and salvaged materials, he transformed the Datsun into a home on wheels. He kept it running with bubble gum, duct tape, WD-40, and plenty of determination – living in it while he traveled all over the country, from the Dakotas to the Everglades, the Rockies to the Southwest desert.

His love of the outdoors began while living in Texas, where he became an Eagle Scout, and it eventually became his livelihood. His other great love was bicycles: riding, wrenching, and creating bikes of all shapes and sizes – a passion he discovered while running the Outdoor Center at the University of Alabama. As he grew into adulthood, his hands-on passions grew with him. He made the Northern Tier canoe voyage twice, paddling and camping from Canada into Minnesota; he backpacked the Rockies alone, crossing the Continental Divide twice; his mountain bikes joined him for many trips through the Pisgah Forest, and to the Santos Fat Tire Festival. His love of nature and adventure drew him to Tennessee, and then North Carolina, where he guided rafting trips on several rivers, led mountain biking trips, and helped install zip lines in the Nantahala Gorge. Throughout his journeys, he made a living out of his passion and persistence. Money was never important to him. He didn’t have great needs, and he made things work.

Ant was well-known by many in Western North Carolina; his authenticity, creativity, and camaraderie were a magnetic force that naturally drew community to him. Bryson City was the childhood home of his partner, Sami, and it was there that they co-created a life of abundance and connection together. His parents had the opportunity to visit the pair and see for themselves the community of love and support that they had built. While walking down the street with Ant and Sami, they were stopped by countless friends to say “hello,” and met folks from all walks of life who expressed their adoration and gratitude for the two of them.

He was only 36 years old when he unexpectedly departed this world. His age never limited the fullness of his life; he crammed more living into 36 years than most could into 100. Those of us who were left behind are holding the grief of his passing, even as we celebrate the time that we shared with him. Family, friends, acquaintances, and former coworkers will remember his smiling face, his exuberant joy of life, his fearlessness, his caring heart, his crafty ability to make “something” out of “nothing.”

Tolkien also wrote, “Death is just another path, one that we all must take.” In life and in death, Ant’s path was always one of his own choosing, challenging social standards and defying external limits. We honor the impact that he made on each of us, and will carry his spirit with us as we navigate a world without his physical presence. He will be deeply missed, and his absence will be felt near and far by those who loved and learned from him.

Rest in peace Anthony (“Ant”) Lee Smithson, Jr., as you enter into your next adventure.

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