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Obituary
“Brita Ellen Smeenge (Nyberg), born on May 14, 1990, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, died at the age of 35 on June 2, 2025, at Angela Hospice in Livonia, Michigan, after being diagnosed with a brain tumor on July 3, 2016. She was surrounded by her husband, David Michael Smeenge; her parents; and close friends.
Brita was committed to living a missional life, always striving to serve Christ. The Church was central, reflecting her kingdom-minded approach to all that she did.
Brita lived her life with immense love and a vibrant spirit, sharing her warmth and joy with everyone around her. Known for her candid personality and the ability to speak her mind, she made those in her presence feel cherished and appreciated. Her life was marked by an absence of regrets, having embraced each moment with gratitude and grace.
Her love for music filled her days; she led worship, played the violin and guitar, and sang. Musicals held a special place in her heart, as did the books that she constantly held from the age of three. Her passion for reading was unwavering, absorbing every story she could find.
Her marriage to David Michael was on July 7, 2012, and they knew one another for 17 years. They lived the parable of marriage as a testament to their love for one another and their Lord. The two of them met through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship while Brita was an undergraduate at Michigan Technological University in the Fall of 2008. God brought them through Memphis, TN, and Dearborn, MI. Together they daily prayed with and raised their son, Perrin.
She rooted for the Green Bay Packers, loved cheese, freshly ground coffee, routinely wore mismatched socks, and had pet rabbits. Her friends and family knew her as thrifty, crafty, clever, and for her tasteful hijinks.
She enjoyed doing quality work. She cared for animals while at Michigan Tech. After undergraduate, she worked at Olga’s Kitchen (2012-2013), with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Wayne State and Oakland University (2013-2015), and with the Resurrection Health Family Medicine Residency program as an administrative assistant (2015-2018). After Resurrection Health, she loved being Perrin’s mama.
Brita is survived by her husband, David Michael Smeenge; her son, David Perrin Smeenge; her parents, Dale and Mary Nyberg; and her siblings, Hans (Lindsay) Nyberg and Catrina (James) Brandt. She was an aunt to Caleb, Elliot, Braxton, Grayson, Tobias, Otto, and Vera. She is mourned by her father in-law and mother in-law, David C. and Debra Smeenge, brother in-law Daniel Smeenge, and numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Carl and Florence Nyberg and Don and Doris Rupp.
Though her time with us felt brief, Brita leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and a spirit that will continue to inspire all who knew her. Brita's only hope and comfort was Christ; she is now raised to a newness of life and we look forward to an eternal reunion.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made out to the family directly or to Christ Community Church Dearborn.”
