Amir Tarak Smith was born on October 15, 1965 in Lynchburg, VA. to Standaly H. Smith and Gloria "Bunnie" Camm Smith.
Amir and Tony grew up with their mom Bunnie between Lynchburg, VA and New York.
Thanks to their great Aunt Artie and Uncle Jim, they traveled the country to places like Disneyland in California, Beverly Hills, Florida and New York's Sag Harbor.
Aunt Artie's job in hospitality and entertainment, and Uncle Jim's job at the New York museum of art exposed Amir and Tony to sports celebrities and art.
The boys often made home movies using a 35mm camera and showed them for the family.
Amir had a brilliant mind...Bunnie often called the back of his head a "knowledge knot"...he was very precocious and inquisitive.
Amir and Tony were inseparable as brothers, Tony always looking out for Amir.
During the summer of 1983, at age 17, Amir was pushed off of a wall at Riverside Park, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
After a long while at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, VA Bunnie and Tony brought Amir back home to Lynchburg, where they, along with family and friends, would care for him for 26 years at the home house at 2023 Bedford Ave until Bunnie's passing in 2010.
Tony and Jacqui moved Amir in with them in Forest for a period, until Amir's care needs required him to be relocated to a nursing facility. When Tony reluctantly went to Amir to tell him the plan, Amir replied "What took you so long?"...that's how unselfish he was.
For the past 14 years Amir enjoyed his life at the Carrington Nursing Home, later named Forest Health and Rehab, making friends and establishing a second family amongst the administrators and staff.
While there, embracing the internet and later social media, Amir did research on health, music, diet, architecture and more and became a resource for information for friends, family and even people he didn't know on a variety of subjects.
In January 2024 Amir developed a flu and bacterial infection, causing him to be hospitalized, intubated and put on a ventilator, and finally a tracheostomy.
Unable to speak or move his hands, Amir was still determined to communicate, offer advice, and advocate for his own care. With the help of nurse Ashlee Mandravelis, Tony and Jacqui devised a communication system to relay Amir's concerns and discomforts.
During his 35 day stay at Lynchburg General, Amir touched a whole new group of people, who became engulfed into his family orbit.
Even though he was bed-ridden, couldn't eat, drink or swallow, couldn't talk, he still gave advice to family members about what tv shows they should be watching, what vitamins and health aids they should be taking, and made Tony and Jacqui promise to "check on Ma Dee, Aunt Tee, Odell, Sheila" and others.
Still thinking about keeping the family and friends connected.
Amir had a beautiful soul and a brilliant mind until the end, even having the foresight to leave Tony a note weeks before with instructions to carry out "if things went south".
On February 22, 2024 Amir passed away at Lynchburg General Hospital, with a signature wink and smile, surrounded by his family.
For 40 years he could not walk...NOW he can fly.
His impact will last forever.
Amir leaves to cherish his memory his devoted brother Tony Camm, loving sister-in-law Jacqui Camm, devoted nieces and nephews Anthony Andrews, Rhia Camm, Camille Camm and Rocqui Camm, great niece and nephew Alaya and Sean Andrews, uncle Dawson Smith, aunt Shirley Smith, first cousin Kammal Smith, and a host of other relatives and friends.