B. Smith The restaurateur, model and author B. Smith died on Saturday after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, She was 70 years old. Smith, whose full name was Barbara Elaine Smith, was a multi-faceted and multi-talented personality.
In addition to building restaurants and a home decor collection, over the years, Smith was a fashion model, actress, broadcast talent and bestselling cookbook author. In 1976 she became one of the fi rst African American women to appear on the cover of "Mademoiselle" magazine. "B. Smith with Style," her syndicated talk show, aired nationally on NBC stations for several years. She also ran three popular restaurants. Smith was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at the age of 64 in 2013. She leaves her husband Dan Gasby and daughter, Dana, to mourn her passing. In a statement on Facebook Gasby stated, "It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith. B. died peacefully Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 10:50 pm, of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in our home in Long Island, New York. Heaven is shining even brighter now that it is graced with B.'s dazzling and unforgettable smile." Smith and her husband worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the disease and its effects on the African-American community in particular. Their book, written with Michael Shnayerson, Before I Forget (Harmony, 2016), is the story of her fi ght with Alzheimer’s Smith’s signature tagline “Whatever you do, do it with style!” has been on display at Smithsonian The National Museum of African American History and Culture. |
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