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Wil Smith, Single Dad And Beloved StoryCorps Participant, Dies At 46

Wil Smith, a single dad whom listeners first met through StoryCorps in 2012, died Sunday at the age of 46. A few years ago he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Smith attended Bowdoin College in Maine in the 1990s. When he enrolled, he was not just older than the other students, but was also raising his infant daughter, Olivia, on his own.

Smith was a member of the class of 2000 at Bowdoin and, after getting his law degree, he returned to the school as an associate dean. There is now a movie in the works about his life.

(This conversation initially aired on Oct. 23, 2013 on Morning Edition).

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.