by David Gunner Gundersen, Director of Student Life
The Boyce College community is grieving the loss of Shelby-Tyler Smith, a unique and beloved student who died on Friday afternoon, December 28, in a serious car accident. Around 1:30pm last Friday, Shelby, a 20-year-old junior, was killed in a collision with a semi-truck on I-71 near the Greene/Fayette County line near Dayton, Ohio. His girlfriend and fellow Boyce student was in the passenger seat but was miraculously released from the hospital the same day.
The night of the accident, President Albert Mohler and several Southern and Boyce staff members visited Shelby’s family including his 5-year-old brother and 19-year-old sister. The family expressed how much Shelby loved the Boyce community, and we shared with them how much Shelby was loved and appreciated at Boyce.
In the days since the accident, many students have gathered back on campus to pray for the family, grieve together, and share powerful memories of Shelby’s life and testimony. Faculty, staff, and students have also been filling social media with their personal reflections, revealing the deep impact of Shelby’s Christ-centered life.
The Spencer Magnet contains Shelby’s obituary, and visitation and services are being held in his hometown of Taylorsville, Kentucky today and Thursday. Boyce will hold our own memorial service at the beginning of the spring semester to commemorate Shelby’s life and reflect on his example.
In these days we are grieving over the loss of our enthusiastic and passionate brother Shelby-Tyler Smith. But we also rejoice that despite the agony of death and separation, Shelby has taken his joy to heaven where it has only multiplied exponentially in the presence of Christ. We are already seeing how God is using the legacy of Shelby’s life to impact our community through his death.
In the words of Dr. Jim Orrick, Professor of Literature and Culture, “The course laid out for him to run was shorter than any of us knew. He ran hard, and he ran well. He finished strong. Now the Master of the race has taken him home and given him early honors. It was a joy to see him run.”
Shelby-Tyler Smith, 1992-2012