PORTLAND, Oregon — Before Bobby Smallwood, 44, was shot and killed at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center on Saturday, before he became a security guard, and before he could ever know he would die in the line of duty, Smallwood spent his days sitting next to Abby Dumitrache. The two were screeners at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center in Gresham. During the peak of the pandemic, they made sure those who entered the hospital were fit to do so.
It wasn't always easy.
“When there was escalation [Smallwood] would always say, ‘Abby, move, move. I got this,’” recalled Dumitrache. “He was that type of person, he always put himself in the ring of fire, that was his nature. That was him.”
Dumitrache worked with Smallwood for more than a year. In that time, She said the two became good friends and shared many long conversations.
“He did tell me he eventually wants to settle down, get married, have kids, go to bigger, better things,” said Dumitrache. “He loved math, I know he loved math, he always talked about it.”
Dumitrache majored in mathematics and statistics at Portland State University where he also worked at the campus food pantry. In 2020, an article published on the PSU website noted Smallwood wanted students to know that help was available to everyone who needed it.
"We will always be there," Smallwood was quoted as saying.
None of it came as a surprise to Dumitrache.
“He was one-in-a-million, he was,” she said.
Perhaps the only thing that surprised Dumitrache and so many others was that Smallwood— 6-foot, 5 inches tall and solid muscle — never used his stature to scare or intimidate others. His true strength, said Dumitrache, was in his character.
“He always used to say, ‘It doesn't cost anything to be kind,’” said Dumitrache, through tears. “He was that person.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for Smallwood's family and to help them with funeral expenses.