After days of searching, Marcus Jeremy Smith, a junior majoring in management information sciences, was discovered dead near his apartment in the Charleston Square complex late afternoon Sunday.

“Marcus was a child of God, in how he lived and who he was,” his uncle, Derrick Pearson, said. “As family, you have hopes and dreams of who your young men grow up to be. By the outpouring of love and support, I would say that we can be proud in that Marcus exceeded our wishes.”

Smith was an active member of the Church of Christ at Northwood, and the people he knew there remember him fondly.

“My life has been touched just in the short months of my knowing him,” fellow church member Amanda Wildman said. “He will always be in my heart and I will never forget him. I have comfort in knowing that he is in Heaven and I look forward to seeing him again someday.”

Pearson said Smith had turned out exactly how he’d hoped.

“As a man, you want the younger generation to surpass you in quality of life and quality of man,” he said. “Our family could not be prouder of the Christian he was, and the man that he was becoming.

“His parents, his family, his friends and his community loved him,” Pearson said. “I haven’t heard anyone say that they wouldn’t be proud of Marcus as their own. That’s impressive.”

If you are a friend or family member who would like to be quoted about Smith, email [email protected].