Over the last decade, Ree Drummond’s career has expanded beyond her best-selling books and lucrative Food Network TV show to include her Pioneer Woman blog.
The celebrity chef and married mother of four, who frequently appears on shows such as The Today Show and The View, has suffered from severe emotional distress in recent years.
Continue reading to find out what we know about Michael Smith, her older brother, and his tragic death.
Michael Drummond, 54, passed away on October 30, 2021. However, Michael’s close friend Dan Dalton stated in a social media eulogy that Michael “went fast and did not suffer.” It was never revealed how he died.
Dan was the first person to post about Mike’s death on social media, despite the fact that Ree Drummond’s sister Betsy also shared the news of his death on November 2 via an Instagram post.
A day later, the Food Network star paid tribute to her brother on Facebook. The cookbook author issued a statement on social media following Mike’s death. The next Wednesday’s message was written by Ree: “Michael Smith, you were everything.”
“I won’t try to sum up the existence of someone as wonderfully beautiful as my brother Michael right now,” she concluded. He was my first and best buddy, and I treasure the more than 50 years’ worth of photos and memories he left behind since he was 17 months my senior.”
“Please pray for my parents, whose devotion to Mike was boundless, and who will feel this loss the most acutely,” the 54-year-old said.
Michael Smith, also known as Mike to his friends and family, was Ree Drummond’s older brother and a prominent Food Network star. Ree and Mike were two of their parents’ four children raised in Bartlesville. Michael, who had special needs, was well-liked in his hometown of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and took a keen interest in the work of local first responders.
The Washington County Emergency Management Agency wrote a eulogy for the 54-year-old after learning of his death, referring to him as a “legend and icon” who “will be sorely missed and always remembered.”
The Bartlesville Professional Firefighters Union noted in a memorial that Michael was “one of a kind” and that “we are going to miss our friend Michael.”
Michael was also well-known to Ree’s readers as a result of his appearances on The Pioneer Woman on the Food Network and regular mentions in her blog postings. Betsy, the younger brother’s sister, also issued a statement on social media following Mike’s death.
“We lost Michael, my beautiful brother, this last weekend,” she wrote on Instagram. He was one-of-a-kind, and his many fans will miss him. I’m thankful for his life, the relationships he built, and his independent, fun-loving personality. I shall always cherish you, Mikey
