Barbara Elaine Smith

Born: August 24, 1949

Birthplace: Everson, Pennsylvania

Died: February 22, 2020

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Barbara Elaine Smith, aka B. Smith, was an American restaurateur, model, author, businesswoman, and television host.

Smith was born on August 24, 1949, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Everson, Pennsylvania.

Her mother, Florence, was a maid, and her father, William, was a steelworker.

Smith was raised in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and attended Southmoreland High School, graduating in 1967.

In high school, the Future Homemakers of America club, while supposedly integrated, refused to let Smith join because of her race; she countered by starting her own homemaking club with herself as president.

In the mid-1960s, Smith began her career in modeling, participating in the Ebony Fashion Fair and later signing with the Wilhelmina Models agency.

Smith was the first African-American model to be featured on the cover of Mademoiselle magazine in 1976.

Smith made two appearances on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, once as a model for Queen Sara's wedding dress, and once giving a tour of her restaurant, B. Smith, and making raspberry custard with Fred Rogers and her head chef, Henry.

During the episode, she taught child viewers about the importance of washing hands, and shared the excitement of using huge bowls and mixers.

She said her dream was to feed people, which began at an early age when she fed her dolls. Her weekly half-hour syndicated television show, B. Smith with Style, debuted in 1997 and also aired weekdays on BTN and Bounce TV. It featured home décor and cooking segments.

Smith appeared as herself on "Prelude to a Kiss", a 1999 episode of the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, in which Aunt Hilda summons her in order to teach a group of unruly pirates to keep house.

Smith accepted a role in the Off Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore for an April 27 through May 29, 2011, run with Conchata Ferrell, AnnaLynne McCord, Anne Meara, and Minka Kelly.

Smith's interest in décor and restaurant design led to the development of her first home collection, which debuted at Bed, Bath & Beyond in Spring 2001.

She also launched a line of serveware in 2004. In spring 2010, Smith debuted her first furniture collection with the La-Z-Boy company Clayton Marcus.

In June 2014, Smith revealed that she had been diagnosed with Early-onset Alzheimer's disease and stating that she came out with the information to counter the stigma associated with the disease.

In November 2014, Smith's husband reported her missing from Southampton, New York.

She was found the next day in a cafe in Midtown Manhattan.

On February 22, 2020, Smith died of early-onset Alzheimer's disease at age 70. Source.