Funeral Funding for Monte “Grumpy” Smith

**UPDATE*04/23/24**

Yesterday we went to the funeral home to get things in motion for the viewing/cremation and ended up being told there was some complications with the embalming due to medications he took. So we ended up having to do cremation without a viewing unfortunately. $1100 is what we ended up paying to have everything started. Have the paperwork is finalized (said could take up to a week) then the cremation would happen which can take 7-14 days to get back.

I continue to keep everything as transparent as possible due to everyone’s generosity during this time. We are now in the process of catching up on bills and property tax for the mobile home. There are some minor repairs that need done as well and some other services that will need to come out to help protect his belongings. There is a storage facility across from the mobile park that we are looking into as well. I will be making the celebration of life event by then end of this week. The location we have chosen is Holiday Park on the Northside of Indy. The time and date will be known once the event is made. If anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out to Todd or I. We will be happy to answers any questions or even just to chitchat when able.

Thank you to everyone again, you have helped this transition be more bearable and less stressful with all the love and support we’ve received. ❤️

**UPDATE*04/21/24**

short update to continue to keep transparency. I don’t want anyone thinking or spreading allegations due to changing the goal amount. Gofundme asks it to be changed everytime the goal is met and we haven’t withdrew funds yet being that it isn’t due til tomorrow. (Planned to tonight) I set it to a higher amount thinking it would far enough out and as I first mentioned, y’all keep coming through for such an amazing father/uncle/brother/friend.

please understand it is not required for you to continue and if asked we will provide receipts showing what it’s spent on for those who donated. Y’all are amazing. Thank you. After bills are caught up and storage/cleaning is done. If there’s money leftover it will be used for his Celebration of life we are doing for him coming up. A million times thank you and still doesn’t seem thank you enough!❤️❤️

**UPDATE*04/21/24**

I just want to take the time to say that everyone single one of you who shared and donated HELPED reach the goal for this beloved father, uncle, brother, and friend to have his final wishes for his afterlife plan. Now that the goal has been made as said there’s quite a bit of things that need done with his belongings and things to handle in his home. Also we are still using the leftover funds first and foremost to make sure Mark is caught up on bills and taxes. Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out at this time and given love and support. We would give anything to have him back here with us but know he is much more happier now that he’s no longer in pain, and walking around with BOTH legs. I’m sure he’s having a hoot with that!❤️

We reached our original goal and can’t thank everyone enough. Gofundme said if we wanted to raise more money for the aftercare to change the amount. I did BUT it is not required for anyone to donate unless wanting to continue to help with aftercare/celebration of life. ❤️

Again, words cannot express the amount of gratitude and appreciation we have at this moment and thank you just doesn’t seem enough. From the bottom of our hearts, we couldn’t have done it without the help of friends and family.❤️❤️

**UPDATE*04/19/24**

Due to complications of over booking with the original funeral parlor we chose, we had to unexpectedly move him to a different parlor. Which ultimately was a benefit because it was less money needed in order to cremate him. We now need only $1700 by Monday in order to fulfill Monte’s afterlife decision but again have set the goal a bit above cost for any fees taken by Gofundme. As said prior, any money made past goal will go toward any financial expenses that needed tending to before his passing to help his longtime roommate/close friend Mark. After that, any money leftover will help with costs for cleaning and storage of the home and possessions. As mentioned, any changes to funds/costs are made transparent so everyone who is able to help can rest assured their donations are being used toward exactly what is said they are being used for. We can’t thank, everyone who has already donated, enough for said donation. It means more than words can possibly express.

Hello family and friends, I am Monte’s daughter-in-law, Megan (most who know me know me as Megs). I am making this on behalf of Monte’s son, Todd.

As many of you are now aware, in the early morning of April 18th, Monte passed away peacefully in his sleep. His wishes were for him to be cremated. Us, along with his family want nothing more than to fulfill his wish in doing so. Those who had the honor of knowing Monte knew he always helped out anyway possible when able. Whether it came in the form of lending his services toward events or helping someone individually. He was a very loving man who always spoke his mind, many of us bore witness to his honest tongue. No matter what the reason, if you were at the end of his moment of tough love, it meant he held you in high regard and treasured your relationship with him. Let’s be real, he didn’t go by Grumpy for nothing. He struggled with many health issues but he never would let it stop him from making beautiful memories with family and friends. He put up one heck of a fight til his final breath. Anyone who had the chance to meet him and have the pleasure of getting to know him, knew what a truly amazing man he was. All of us gained one “grumpy spooktacular” guardian angel and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The cost of cremation is $3,300, I want to be as transparent as possible as far as costs go. The reason it was set for $3,500 is to go toward some, if not all the fees, gofundme takes out before allowing us to withdraw the funds for said funeral cost. Anything made over the amount set will go toward helping his long time roommate/long time friend, Mark, with any bills that were needing attention before Monte’s unexpected passing.

We greatly appreciate any and all help given from family and friends and know, like us, he will be severely missed and his memories made, forever cherished. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and gave their condolences during this difficult time. We lay to rest a very beloved person who will be greatly missed but are also relieved he is no longer in pain from all the health issues he battled regularly.

We will be holding a “Celebration of Life” for him after his cremation. Once everything has been figured out as to when and where, an event will be created and shared for family/friends to join us in commemoration of him. If there are any questions or just needing to reach out, please don’t hesitate to do so.

We thank all of you for your loving support and hope to see each and every one of you at the “Celebration of Life” event.