Michael James Smith, award-winning reporter and film critic, died Friday in Tulsa after a short illness. He was 57.

Michael was born in Ada to Kent and Barbara (Woods) Smith. He spent many of his formative years in Tulsa, where he found a home in Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout with Troop 26. He also developed a lifelong love of sports and movies during this time.

When Michael was in high school, the family moved back to Ada so his father could run the family store, J. Kent Smith Jewelers. Michael assumed he would be the fourth-generation owner of the store and pursued a business degree at East Central University. But it was not to be, and instead he went into restaurant management with Crystal's Pizza. After almost a decade with the chain, he decided to leave to pursue his dream job of being a movie critic. He returned to East Central to earn a second degree in communications and became a newspaper reporter.

He spent a year at the Miami News-Record and then was hired as a reporter at the Tulsa World. He covered a variety of beats in his career at the Tulsa World. He loved breaking news and was known as someone who was fast, thorough and accurate. He was a master at developing sources, and people trusted him with their stories.

In 2006, Michael's passion for all things film paid off when he took over the movie beat. He won many awards for feature writing and arts criticism from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists, the AP/Oklahoma News Executives and Great Plains Journalism Awards. He loved all kinds of movies – from big spectacle musicals to little indie dramas, from Martin Scorsese to Mel Brooks, from animated features to art house favorites. He always enjoyed recommending little known or underappreciated films to family and friends and getting their recommendations in return.

Michael recently started work at the Vintage Newsmagazine at Life Senior Services.

He met Colleen Almeida at the Tulsa World, and in a short time, they were inseparable. They were married in 1997 and had two daughters, Melina and Maren. He was a devoted father and husband to "his girls," as he called the three of them. Although he wasn't really a joiner – he left the meetings and the groups to Colleen – he was always on the sidelines at the soccer or basketball games, in the audience at the theater and showing up for the girls in ways big and small.

He loved to travel and packed in as much fun as possible on family vacations each summer. Many destinations included a side trip to famous movie sites in San Francisco, Monument Valley, Durango, Colo., and Shamrock, Texas.

Few things gave Michael as much pleasure as football, and he was a devoted fan of the OU Sooners and the Dallas Cowboys. For years he shared a pair of season tickets with a group of friends at the Tulsa World and enjoyed many fantastic game days. He loved a good rock concert, authentic Mexican food, board games with his family, and solving Sudoku and Ken Ken puzzles. He was known for his big smile, bigger heart and sense of humor.

He is survived by his wife, Colleen; daughters, Melina and Maren; a brother, Drew Smith of Moore; an aunt and uncle, Sue and Doug Smith of Byrnes Mill, Mo.; mother-in-law, Joan Almeida of Sapulpa; three brothers-in-law, Antonio (Courtney) Almeida of Sapulpa, Matthew (Annetta) Almeida of Broken Arrow and Jason (Megan) Almeida of Denham Springs, La.; many nieces and nephews and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held soon through Traditions Funeral and Cremation Services of Kellyville.

Gifts in Michael's name can be made to the Circle Cinema Foundation or to the Michael Smith Children's Fund at the Bank of Oklahoma.

Arrangements are under the direction of Traditions Funeral and Cremation Services, 35 S. Main, Kellyville, Oklahoma, 918-247-7373.