Over the past ten years, Ree Drummond’s career has flourished, expanding from her Pioneer Woman blog and books to her popular Food Network TV show of the same name.

Yet, the celebrity chef and married mother of four who frequently appears on programs like The Today Show and The View has also had significant personal traumas over the past few years.

Read on to learn what we know about her older brother Michael Smith’s terrible death.

At the age of 54, Michael Drummond passed away on October 30, 2021.

Although Dan Dalton, a close friend of Michael’s, stated in a social media tribute that Michael “gone fast and did not suffer,” his cause of death was never made public.

Although Ree Drummond’s sister, Betsy, also conveyed the news of Mike’s passing via an Instagram post on November 2, Dan was the first to post about Mike’s passing on social media.

A day later, The Food Network star posted a memorial to her brother on Facebook.

The cookbook author posted a statement on Mike’s passing on social media following his dying.

On the Wednesday after his passing, Ree wrote, “Michael Smith, you were everything.”

She continued, “I won’t try to sum up the existence of someone as wonderfully beautiful as my brother Michael right now. He was my first friend and best friend, and I’m very appreciative of the more than 50 years’ worth of pictures and memories because he was 17 months older than me.

“Please pray for my parents, whose loyalty to Mike was limitless, who will feel this loss most profoundly,” the 54-year-old continued.

Ree Drummond, a star of the Food Network, was the older brother of Michael Smith, also known as Mike to his friends and family. All four of their parents’ children, including Ree and Mike, were raised in Bartlesville.

Michael, who had special needs, was well-liked in his hometown of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and showed a keen interest in the work of the area’s first responders.

The Washington County Emergency Management Agency wrote a eulogy for the 54-year-old after hearing of his passing, referring to him as a “legend and icon” who “would be profoundly lost and always remembered.”

In a memorial, the Bartlesville Professional Firefighters Union acknowledged that Michael was “one of a kind” and said, “We are going to miss our friend Michael Smith.”

Because of his appearances on The Pioneer Woman on the Food Network and frequent mentions in her blog postings, Michael was also well-known to Ree’s followers.

Following Mike’s passing, the younger sister of the two brothers, Betsy, also sent a statement on social media.

She posted on Instagram, “We lost Michael, my beautiful and wonderful brother, this last weekend. “He was unique, and the many people who adored him will miss him. I’m grateful for his life, the relationships he formed, and his independent, fun-loving character. I’ll always love you, Mikey.”