Long Island

B. Smith, Restaurateur and Lifestyle Maven, Dies at Age 70

Smith died of complications from early-onset Alzheimer's disease at her home on Long Island Saturday night, her husband said

NBCUniversal, Inc.

What to Know

  • Restaurateur and lifestyle maven B. Smith has passed away at age 70, her husband said
  • Smith died of complications from early-onset Alzheimer's disease at her home on Long Island on Saturday night, according to her husband
  • A New York Times article published when Smith starred in an off-Broadway play described her as a "trailblazer for African-Americans," as well as a "renaissance woman"

Restaurateur and lifestyle maven B. Smith has passed away at age 70, her husband said. 

Smith, whose full name was Barbara Elaine Smith, died of complications from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at her home on Long Island on Saturday night, her husband Dan Gasby said in a Facebook post. 

“It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith,” Gasby wrote. “Thank you to all the friends and fans who supported B. and our family during her journey. Thank you to everyone for respecting our privacy during this agonizing time.” 

B Smith
Wendell Teodoro/WireImage
Restaurateur and TV Host B. Smith attends the Cougartini unveiling at B. Smith's Restaurant on September 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Wendell Teodoro/WireImage)

“Heaven is shining even brighter now that it is graced with B.’s dazzling and unforgettable smile,” he added.

Smith was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2013, her website says.

Smith wrote three cookbooks, founded three successful restaurants and launched a nationally syndicated television show and a magazine. Her successful home products line was the first from a black woman to be sold at a nationwide retailer when it debuted in 2001 at Bed Bath & Beyond. In 1976, she became the second black model to be on the cover of Mademoiselle magazine, after Joli Jones in 1969.

Some described Smith as a "black Martha Stewart," a comparison she said she didn't mind though she believed the two lifestyle mavens were quite different.

"Martha Stewart has presented herself doing the things domestics and African Americans have done for years," she said in a 1997 interview with New York magazine. "We were always expected to redo the chairs and use everything in the garden. This is the legacy that I was left. Martha just got there first."

In the same interview, Gasby said, "Martha is perfection and Barbara is passion."

Smith began suffering from memory problems years before her diagnosis. She once froze for several seconds while being interviewed on the "Today Show," prompting a doctor's visit that led to her diagnosis. A few months later, she wandered away and was missing in New York City for a day.

In 2018, Gasby revealed that he was in a relationship with another woman while caring for his ailing wife, leading to harsh criticism from some of her fans. He fired back at critics with a Facebook post about the pain of living with Alzheimer's in the family. "I love my wife but I can't let her take away my life," he wrote.

The couple co-authored a book, "Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's," and have partnered with the Brain Health Registry.

Smith, a native of Pennsylvania, began her career as a fashion model in Pittsburgh and went on to serve as a spokeswoman for Verizon, Colgate, Palmolive Oxy and McCormick's Lawry seasonings. She hosted the nationally syndicated television show "B. Smith with Style" for nearly a decade, which aired on NBC stations.

Smith is survived by Gasby, whom she married in 1992, and her stepdaughter Dana Gasby.

Copyright NBC New York/Associated Press
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