Willard Carroll Smith Sr., Will Smith’s Father, Dies
Willard Carroll Smith Sr., the father of multiple award-winning actor Will Smith, has died.
The death of Will Smith Sr. was revealed by the actor’s ex-wife Sheree Fletcher, who wrote a heart-warming tribute on Instagram. Fletcher has a son with Smith, named Trey, who is now 23-years-old.
“We’re gonna miss you Daddio! You lived & played by your own rules…you truly were 1 of a kind!” she wrote. “You instilled discipline, and a work ethic that has created a legacy in your honor!” Along with her text, Fletcher shared a picture of her son with Will Smith and his late father.
It is unclear how old Willard Carroll Smith Sr. was at the time he died or what may have led to his death.
Smith Sr. was a refrigerator engineer and a former member of the U.S. Air Force. He reportedly created a refrigerator servicing company. He was married to Caroline Bright, who worked for a board of education in West Philadelphia, where the family lived.
Willard and Caroline had four children. Will Smith is their second child. The other children of the couple are Pamela (who is older than Will), Harry (who worked as Will’s business partner and accountant), and Ellen. According to BoomBeat, Smith’s parent split when he was about 13-years-old. However, they were not officially divorced until the year 2000.
Will Smith has been vocal about the instrumental role that his father played in shaping his character. In a biography of Will Smith written by Matt Doeden and published by USA Today and Lifeline Biographies, the actor is quoted talking about his childhood.
“It was a real military kind of house,” Smith said. “There was a military type of structure and discipline.”
The book, named Will Smith: Box Office Superstar, also reveals that Smith Sr. taught his sons (Will and Harry) about work ethic as teenagers by having them break down a brick wall and rebuild it alone.
According to the biography, in the early days of Smith’s career in Hip Hop, Willard Carroll Smith Sr. was apparently concerned about the possibility of his son turning to drugs. In a bid to dissuade him from that path, Smith Sr. reportedly drove Will to one of “Philadelphia’s toughest neighborhoods” and showed him how drug addicts lived.
In an interview with Essence, Will Smith explained that while his dad was tough, he was not tyrannical.
“He kept me in line. He’d get this look that said, ‘One more step, Will, and it’ll get ugly,'” the actor revealed.
While his parents sought to discipline him, Will said they also showed him and his siblings love.
“There’s a certain level of confidence and self-esteem that comes from knowing…that someone loves you,” he explained in Will Smith: Box Office Superstar. “It’s not based on whether my homework’s done. Just because I’m me, these people love me. So it’s like, I know I’m good. How can I let the world know?”
While Smith Sr. sought to set a positive example for his son, he apparently had personal struggles of his own.
According to Diary of a Hollywood Street King, Smith’s former music partner Ready Rock-C, who worked with Will back when he was known as The Fresh Prince, claims that Smith Sr. battled with alcohol abuse. Smith Sr. allegedly had a baby by a young woman, who was also dealing with alcohol abuse. However, the baby was smothered to death by her mother when she was drunk one day. The incident is said to have pushed Smith’s father to cut ties with the woman.
There has been no announcement of the funeral plans for the late Willard Carroll Smith Sr.
[Featured Image by Matt Rourke/AP Images]
