Funeral services have been announced for Atlanta comedian and radio veteran Wanda Smith, who passed away last week at the age of 59.
A public viewing will be held on Sunday, Nov. 3 at The Willie Watkins Funeral Home in Atlanta from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The following day, Monday, Nov. 4, Word of Faith Cathedral in Austell, Georgia, will hold a “celebration of life” service scheduled for 11 a.m.
While the former radio personality’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed, Smith’s former coworkers and colleagues confirmed the news of her passing last week over social media.
“Our hearts are weighing heavier today as we grieve the loss of our beloved Wanda Smith, someone who always made us smile and who was a big part of V-103 for years. We extend our deepest prayers and condolences to her family,” said V-103 SVP and Market Manager, Rick Caffey, in a statement on the station’s Instagram account.
“Wanda’s impact touched lives beyond making us laugh,” Caffey said. “Many times she championed efforts behind the scenes to make a difference in the lives of those who were without.”
Smith flourished a career in Atlanta that spanned over 25 years.
From 1997 to 2019, she served as a morning host for V-103, being teamed up with fellow Atlanta radio staple Frank Ski for a majority of her tenure.
As a comedian, Smith made audiences laugh with a career onstage that included appearances of “Def Comedy Jam” and BET’s “ComicView,” as well as various performances throughout Atlanta.
On screen, she appeared in two Tyler Perry productions, “Madea Goes to Jail” and “Madea’s Witness Protection,” as well as a role in the 2023 film “The Drone that Saved Christmas.”
Ski, who referred to Smith fondly as his “at work wife,” told Fox 5 Atlanta that he was “stunned” once receiving the news of her death.
“I had heard that she wasn’t doing well … [but] I never expected that,” the radio host said, mentioning that his former co-host was so committed to protecting her privacy that she turned down an offer from him, radio host Rickey Smiley and others, to throw a fundraiser in her name.
“She would not let us do it. She didn’t want people to know [of her illness],” he said.
