MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Les Smith, a longtime Memphis television reporter known for vivid, people-centered storytelling, died Wednesday at 75 following a recent hospitalization for suspected lung cancer, his family said.
Smith had recently returned from Belize “in bad shape physically” and, after spending a weekend with his sons and grandchildren, entered the hospital the following Tuesday, according to a Facebook post by his son Jason. Doctors drained fluid from his lungs and believed he likely had lung cancer, the post said.
Over a 13-year run at FOX13 before retiring in 2014, Smith filed more than 8,000 stories, earning a reputation for reporting that centered everyday Memphians and the city’s civic life. Earlier in his career, he worked as a sports journalist at WREG-TV and spent time at WMC-TV. He also served as an original co-panelist on WKNO’s “Behind the Headlines” and later contributed as a columnist to local media.
In recent years Smith lived in Belize with his wife, Lisa, who later passed away. He continued to keep tabs on Memphis from afar, staying in touch with former colleagues and occasionally weighing in on local issues.
Survivors include his sons, Jason and J.W. Smith, and his grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
At the close of his career, Smith was widely regarded by peers for both craft and character. As journalist Jackson Baker wrote, “He was a storyteller… Les was—more.”
