Michael John Smidebush

1954 - 2017

Michael John Smidebush
August 22, 1954 - January 15, 2017
Resident of Concord
Michael John Smidebush, 62, beloved physics teacher at Concord High School, passed away on January 15, 2017 at his home in Concord after a two-year battle with brain cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family when he passed.
Michael was born on August 22, 1954 in Madison, Wisconsin to John and Margaret Mary Smidebush. He was the second oldest of nine siblings: Pat, Kathy, Tim, Karen, Shawn, Maureen, Chris, and David. (As the family joke goes - enough children to form their own baseball team!)
As he was growing up, Michael's family moved around the U.S. to accommodate his father's position as Western Regional Sales Manager for Oscar Mayer. The family settled in Moraga, CA in 1970. The family enjoyed baseball, basketball, tennis, bowling, and other organized sports. Michael's mother Maggie was only 5'2", but was revered for her ability to out-shoot her 6'-plus sons in basketball.
Michael started working while attending high school, and continued to work to pay his way through college. He first enrolled at Diablo Valley College, then transferred to UC Davis (thanks to a scholarship) where he earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering. This was where Michael met the love of his life, Robannie (Robbie) Davis.
After graduating from UC Davis in 1980, Michael worked at PG&E for three years. He and Robbie went back to school at UC Berkeley where they both earned an MS in Mechanical Engineering. They got married in 1984, then had two children, Matthew and Anna.
Michael worked for UTTI (a startup), Alcon, MidLabs, and Siemens, focusing on the development of innovative medical instruments. He received patents for vitreoretinal surgical instruments, a prototype cryosurgical device for the treatment of liver cancer, and an adaptive proximity device used in radiation therapy.
Continuing his family's love of sports, Michael and his brothers played softball in local city leagues, with his sister Karen keeping score. Michael (usually playing shortstop) and his brothers placed first in several of their league night games. They also snagged 2nd Place in the 1990 Tahoe Softball Tournament, with Michael winning the individual All Tournament Award.
Michael began teaching physics at Concord High School in 2006 after working in the commercial medical field for 25 years. Michael enthusiastically embraced the challenges of teaching and found deep satisfaction in the connections he made with his students, with whom he was very popular. Known to be a "tough" but dedicated teacher, he was famous at the school for his classroom hijinks, as well as his engaging explorations of energy and mechanics that included launching rockets, building robots, bowling ball pendulums hung from the ceiling, and a potato cannon that fired spuds further than the length of a football field.
In quieter moments, Michael enjoyed reading Minute Mysteries to his students to develop their ability to "question the obvious," a foundational skill in physics. He also opened discussions about life lessons, such as establishing values and making choices. Michael believed strongly in developing his students, encouraging them to believe in themselves, think about their futures, and pursue their dreams.
Michael developed a robotics engineering class in 2010, creating Concord High's first robotics competition team. In that spring, the team took home three trophies in a Northern California competition, qualifying for the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas. There, the team won the prestigious Educate Award, recognizing the school for its rigorous curriculum incorporating science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Michael's robotics class was a confidence-builder and stepping stone to success for many of the students who participated. One student said he planned to study programming in college as a direct result of the class; another chose to pursue engineering at San Jose State University, and even worked to create a robotics club there.
Michael taught at Concord High until spring of 2015. He was honored for his unique contributions as a teacher when he was nominated for the Mount Diablo Unified School District Teacher of the Year (2014-2015), for which he received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the California House of Representatives.
Michael rarely sat still. Even while putting in extra time for class prep and grading, he was always tackling household and yard projects. With level in hand and toolbelt at his waist, he was an artist and craftsman, taking great care in the functionality and aesthetics of his work. He loved music, and taught himself to play the recorder, as well as the dulcimer, even building one of his own from scratch - the only challenge was in coaxing him to play for an audience! He also created beautiful stained glass art, given to family members and friends over the years.
Michael's belief in himself, his strong work ethic, his determination, and his commitment to perform at the highest level possible enabled him to reach his goal of graduating from college, and then to take on challenging careers. These qualities were lifelong characteristics. As a teacher, a father, a relative, and a friend, he inspired others to do things better, and go farther, than they thought they could.
Michael is survived by his wife Robbie, his two children and his daughter-in-law Wendy Yau, his eight siblings, and many students, friends, and families who adored him.
To share condolences and/or stories, please send an email to InHonorOfMichaelSmidebush@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Michael Smidebush Scholarship Fund at Concord High School. This fund will provide financial support to Concord High School students who want to pursue an engineering or physics degree in college, and honors Michael's dedication to helping students achieve their dreams. Checks may be made out to the Parent Faculty Club. Please note "The Michael Smidebush Scholarship Fund" on the check and mail it to: Concord High School, Parent Faculty Club, 4200 Concord Boulevard, Concord, CA 94521. To donate online, go to https://chs-mdusd-ca.schoolloop.com and click on the button under "Donate to PFC."


View the online memorial for Michael John Smidebush