StoryCorps 417: Remembering Wil Smith
Michael Garofalo (MG): It’s the StoryCorps podcast. I’m Michael Garofalo, one of the producers here at StoryCorps, and we’re bringing you this special episode, which is a little bit off our schedule of one podcast per week because we wanted to remember somebody who is very dear to the StoryCorps family, and sitting here with me to help me do that is Jasmyn Belcher Morris. Hi Jasmyn.
Jasmyn Belcher-Morris (JBM): Hey, Michael.
MG: So, Jasmyn, last week we heard some sad news about a participant who we featured in a StoryCorps broadcast a couple of years ago.
JBM: Yeah, listeners might remember Wil Smith. He recorded back in 2012 with his daughter, Olivia, and when they made that recording, Wil had just been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, and we learned that he died from that disease on February 22nd.
MG: And you’ve brought that conversation for us to hear now.
JBM: Yeah, in the interview, Wil talked about raising Olivia on his own. He was a single dad while attending Bowdoin College back in the 90s, and nobody knew he was raising an infant daughter at the time.
Wil Smith (WS): I wasn’t planning on having you as my roommate. I actually thought that if Bowdoin College knew I had you they wouldn’t let me come to college. So, I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. And, I got a job at Staples, cleaning at night. And I had to take you in with me at work sometimes and hide you in the closet. [Laughs] I think I lost something like 27 pounds, just from stress, and not eating, because I didn’t have enough for both of us. My basketball teammates were my first babysitters. I just remember coming from class and there were four giant guys and then there was this 18-month-old who was tearing up the room. [laughs]
Olivia Smith (OS): Were you ever embarrassed bringing me to class? Or just having me in general?
WS: I felt a little awkward, but never embarrassed. There were times when the only way I could get through was to come in and look at you, and see you sleeping, and then go back to my studies. And my graduation day from Bowdoin is a day I’ll never forget. You know, all of my classmates, they stood up and gave me the only standing ovation.
OS: I remember walking up with you and having my head in your shoulder. [Laughs]
WS: Yeah, the dean called both of our names as he presented us with the diploma.
OS: So, technically I already graduated from college.
WS: Nice try. [Laughs] The degree only has my name on it. So you still got to go.
OS: I really admire your strength. And, I love you.
WS: I draw my strength from you. I always have and I still do.
[MUSIC “Alina’s Place” by Fredrik]
MG: That was Wil Smith with his daughter Olivia, recorded back in 2012.
JBM: And like I said before, Wil had just been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, and they did talk about that in this interview. Here’s a little clip.
WS: You know, you took care of me in the hospital as if our roles were reversed. I was in the hospital bed, and you were rubbing my head, and you’re telling me everything is going to be okay. You watched me at my weakest point where no father wants to be, and you didn’t shed a tear.
[MUSIC OUT]
MG: That wasn’t the last time that Wil and Olivia Smith recorded with StoryCorps. For our tenth anniversary, we actually asked them to come in and give us an update about Wil’s health.
JBM: Yeah, and at the time Wil was actually doing better. He was in remission. And they came in to talk about that.
OS: The best day of this past year was when you had your last chemo treatment.
WS: [Laughs] That was a good day.
OS: [Laughs]
WS: Now, I am feeling a little better, and we’re doing the college search.
OS: It’s crazy, like, growing up on a college campus. And, now that I’m finally that age, I don’t really believe it.
WS: You won’t have the early struggles that I did–you won’t have a child.
OS: [Laughs]
WS: You know, when I was going through treatments, one of the things that helped me through was knowing that had I not been there to help you through this process, you would have figured it out by yourself. But now I’m grateful that I am here and with you.
OS: I’m also glad that we’re here. Thank you for always being there for me and just giving me the life that I have.
[MUSIC “Naruto And The End Of The Broken Ear” by Fredrik]
JBM: That was Wil and Olivia Smith recording for the second time with StoryCorps. Since then, Wil’s condition did worsen. He died on February 22nd, after a long battle with colon cancer.
MG: So what I always hear in these stories is what a remarkable relationship they had, and what a great dad Wil was, but he was a lot more than that to a lot of other people, too.
JBM: He was, actually, Wil was a navy veteran… after graduation he joined the staff at Bowdoin and became the director of multicultural student programs. He then went on to law school and returned to Bowdoin to become an associate dean, and at the time of his death, he was actually the dean of community and multicultural affairs at the Berkshire School in Massachusetts. He was a girl’s Varsity Basketball Coach and he was also the camp director at Seeds of Peace, International Camp–a conflict resolution program. He was just a really remarkable guy.
MG: And I’m really glad we were able to memorialize him here on the podcast today and introduce our listeners to him, so thank you so much for being here, Jasmyn.
JBM: Thanks Michael, it was a real pleasure to have met him.
[MUSIC “Alina’s Place” by Fredrik]
MG: That’s it for this special episode of the StoryCorps podcast. We’ll be back Friday with our latest story. For the StoryCorps podcast I’m Michael Garofalo. Thanks for listening.