William Frank Smith

Bill Smith was born in Marysville, California on April 27, 1959, and died at his home in Davis on July 19, 2013 of heart failure. He was preceded in death by his mother, Jo Glasson Smith, and is survived by his father, T. George Smith of Sacramento, and his sisters Cindra Smith of Gold River, Shelley Smith of Chico, Susan Durant of Sacramento, brother-in-law Bill Durant of Sacramento, as well as three nieces and a nephew, a grand-niece, his two cats, and many friends. He grew up in Sacramento, and loved the American River Parkway. He was permanently disabled in a car accident when he was 21, resulting in quadriplegia. He subsequently earned an A.A. (with honors) from American River College, a B.A. in Business Administration from CSU Sacramento, and a juris doctorate from McGeorge Law School. He worked for a while as an attorney at the Legal Center for the Elderly and Disabled. He moved to Davis, California in 1992, and became active in local radio and TV. He was a disc jockey for KDVS and assisted with station management. He produced "The Stoopid Show" for DCTV, as well wrote and produced the film, "Cat-Man-Do." He received the "Louie Award" for his volunteer work in supporting community access television and radio (KDRT). He was an excellent writer and published Hot Spit, an independent, alternative-press music magazine. His creativity included screenwriting, unique art, and gardening. Bill was an open-hearted and generous man. He was well-loved, respected, and will be missed. His family has been gratified by the many people who say how much he helped them. He shared friends' struggles, and provided a listening ear, a mailing address, a place to socialize, and a wacky sense of humor. His gatherings and Thanksgiving dinners were well known. He found a spiritual home in Hawaii and traveled there regularly. An unrealized goal was to live out his life on the islands. A gathering to celebrate his life will be held 2:00 - 4:00 on August 18 at Symposium Restaurant in Davis. Donations in his memory may be made to Davis Media Access, www.davismedia.org.