This week, the business world was rocked to its core as the announcement of billionaire FedEx pioneer Fred Smith passed at the age of 80. While he was well known for his philanthropy and focus on public service—especially in the areas of education and supporting young people—to those that knew him best, he was just known as "dad."
Smith was father to 10 children and was known to be very impactful in their lives. And though his time on this earth has now passed, that doesn't mean his legacy can't live on through the work he's done and all of his children. But who are Fred Smith's 10 kids? Keep reading on to find out more about the chairman's large family.
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Fred Smith has 10 biological children from two different wives.
Who are the Mothers of Fred Smith's Kids?
While not much has been revealed about Fred Smith's first wife, Linda Black Grisham, according to Encyclopedia the couple married in August 1969. During their time together, the couple had two children, Windland Smith Rice and Richard W. Smith. Less than a decade later in 1977, however, the two divorced.
Dianne Avis
Much like his first wife, Linda Black Grisham, not much is known about his wife Dianne Avis. What is know, though, is that during their lengthy marriage, the two shared eight children.
Related: Fred Smith, Founder of FedEx and 'Source of Inspiration to All,' Dead at 80
Unfortunately, like their mothers, there isn't much known about all of Fred Smith's 10 children. There is, however, a bit of information found on a few of the children who have spent some time in the spotlight.
Sandra Windland Smith, was the first born child of Fred Smith and his first wife Linda Black Grisham. After graduating from St. Mary's Episcopal School in Tennessee, Windland—often called "Wendy," studied drama at Duke University. Though she initially pursued a career in acting and landed two minor movie roles as well as television shows, Windland eventually shifted gears to become a nature photographer.
Windland went on to work with major brands such as Fujifilm, National Geographic Society and Nature's Best Photography as well as winning several awards and having her work exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Nature's Best Photography even named an award after her, the Windland Smith Rice Awards.
Windland passed in 2005 at the age of 35.
Richard W. Smith (b. circa 1979)
Though not a lot is known about Richard's younger life, what we do know is he was born in Memphis and earned his undergraduate from George Washington University. According to FedEx's official site then went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Richard first began his work with FedEx in 2005 as an analyst, and now, he serves as the COO (chief operating officer), International as well as the CEO (chief executive officer), Airline for FedEx. Additionally, he serves on the board of governors for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and on the board of directors of Airlines For America.
While you may not have put two and two together, if you consider yourself a cinephile, you may have seen the name Molly Smith roll across the credits of your screen on some really big moves. According to ESPN, Molly was an executive producer on the hit 2016 musical, La La Land.
In addition to her contributions on the Emma Stone-led film, Molly—through her production company Black Label Media founded in 2013—has worked on big name films such as Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022), Reptile (2023), Rebel in the Rye (2017) and more.
Arthur Smith (b. May 27, 1982)
Perhaps one of the most easiest children to find information on is Arthur Smith. Born in Memphis Tennessee, the former Georgetown Prep football player went on to play for North Carolina from 2001 to 2005, and then began his coaching tenure after graduation in 2006. Over the years, Aruther served in a variety of coaching positions for multiple teams including Ole Miss, the Washington Redskins and—for his longest tenure—the Tennessee Titans where he served as coach from 2011 to 2020.
In 2021, however, Arthur was hired on to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he held the position through 2023. After two season leading the time, he parted ways with the Falcons in January 2024. A month later, however, he was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the offensive coordinator.
While he may seem like the most accomplished sibling, Arthur told ESPN in 2021, "All my siblings were a pretty big influence on me. Molly and I were close in age so, both of them, really all of them, we're a close family. We all had an impact on each other growing up. I'm really proud of what they've done."
Related: FedEx Founder Fred Smith's Net Worth at the Time of His Death
The eighth of the 10 Smith children, Rachel Smith took a page out of her sister Molly's book and went on to become a producer as well. Though not much is known about her current position, in 2017, Commercial Appeal reported that Rachel was a vice president for Black Label Media.
A self-proclaimed book and movie nerd, Rachel revealed that she always wanted to follow Molly's footsteps into the film word, but "our dad always gave us the advice that if you're going to pursue something, you should learn it from the inside out. Even if you're interested in the creative side, learn the business side."
Samantha Smith Atkinson (b. circa 1986)
Known as one of the "early risers" of the Smith clan, Samantha has worked in the Government Affairs department at FedEx since 2016. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, before deciding to take on a role at her father's company, worked in a number of positions at high-profile companies such as Google, CSIS and more.
Frederick Buchanan Smith (b. circa 1988)
Frederick "Cannon" Smith is the youngest son of Fred Smith's children. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, the all-star athlete received a number of awards and received a full scholarship to the University of Miami, though eventually transferring to the University of Memphis. Post graduation, Cannon was signed to the St. Louis Rams as a free agent. Unfortunately though, a knee injury halted his pro football career.
According the the H&H Services Group website, Cannon worked as a construction contractor, which delivered ample knowledge on how to manage large scale projects. As a result, in 2014, he launched a distillery that made and bottled Pyramid Premium Vodka. Additionally, he was a small role actor, and made plans to receive his stunt certifications.
As of April 2016, the youngest son has been married to Collins Tuhoy—daughter of Leigh Anne and Sean Sean—whose family became the subject of the 2009 Oscar-winning film The Blind Side.
How Did Fred Smith's Daughter, Windland Smith Rice, Die?
Windland was a highly celebrated photographer that passed away on May 31, 2005. The eldest child of Fred Smith, Rice suddenly passed away in Memphis, Tennessee while visiting her mother Linda. She passed away from Long QT syndrome (LQTS) Type 2. The syndrome, affects the relaxing of ones heart after a heartbeat and as a result, delivers an increased risk of an irregular heartbeat.
Related: Fans React to Food Network Star Anne Burrell's Untimely Death
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