Willard Carroll Smith Sr. (1939 - 2016)

Born 24 Nov 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 7 Nov 2016 at age 76 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Willard Carroll Smith was born in 1939. He was the son of Wilmon Smith and Ellen Washington.

Willard was the father of actor Will Smith.

He died in 2016 and is buried in Rolling Green Memorial Park in West Goshen, Pennsylvania.^[1]

Obituary

Willard Smith, Sr.

Will Smith Sr., the father of actor Will Smith, died Nov. 7, according to his son's ex-wife, Sheree Fletcher.

Willard Carroll Smith Sr. was a refrigeration engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran who lived in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to his famous son, he had three other children: Pamela and twins Harry and Ellen, all of whom survive him. He is also survived by Smith II's three children, Will "Trey" III, Jaden, and Willow.

In an interview with Studio Q, Smith Sr. thanked the lord for his son's success. Asked what his favorite of Smith II's movies was, he said, "Surprisingly, 'Six Degrees of Separation,' because that was his first movie that he really acted. That was his first real acting role. That's still my favorite. I guess next in line would be 'Enemy of the State.'"

Will Smith II described his father in an interview with Essence magazine: "Dad was tough but not tyrannical. He kept me in line. He’d get this look that said, 'One more step, Will, and it’ll get ugly.' He was an independent businessman – he set up refrigeration in supermarkets – and he always provided for us. He’s a steady and positive figure in my life."^[2]

Research Notes

Several sites claim that his father "may" have been George Willard Smith and Ellen King, however, Willard's private obituary states at the beginning:

"WILLARD C. SMITH, SR. was born November 24, 1939 to the late Wilman Lee Smith and the late Ellen Washington Smith."

Sources

1. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #172446168
   Memorial page for Willard Carroll “Daddio” Smith Sr. (24 Nov 1939-7 Nov 2016), citing Rolling Green Memorial Park, West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Red Bird (contributor 47223009).
2. ↑ https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/legacy/obituary.aspx?n=willard-smith-sr&pid=182405835

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQDT-H86 : 18 June 2020), Williard C Smith in household of Claude King, Ardmore, Lower Merion Township, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 46-96, sheet 12B, line 57, family 201, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3580.

See also:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith