Post by Journey2herpast on Nov 16, 2005 16:59:37 GMT -5
Gina Michelle Smith, a 1993 marketing graduate who lived in Lipscomb Hall while attending the university, died in the plane crash that killed Grammy-nominated singer Aaliyah.
Smith, 30, was a product manager for Blackground Records, which produced Aaliyah’s latest album. She died along with eight others when a twin-engine Cessna went down and caught fire shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas.
Smith’s parents, Shirley and Clewesto, described Gina as a loving person who enjoyed music, traveling and shopping.
“Everyone she met just fell in love with her,” said Clewesto Smith, who spent Monday preparing for funeral arrangements from the family’s Forest Hill home. “I don’t know if I’m going to get over this or not.”
Smith lived in North Bergen, N.J., and commuted to Manhattan, N.Y., each day to work. She handled marketing, packaging and sales for Aaliyah, who had made the trip to the island for a music video shoot, said Carrie Davis, a Blackground Records publicist.
Before the accident, Gina called her parents to describe the island’s beauty, Clewesto Smith said. Later that evening, family members received word that their daughter did not survive the accident.
Shirley Smith said Gina always enjoyed life and was able to adjust quickly to all surroundings.
“She was beautiful inside and out,” she said. “She was my heart.”
Gina Smith’s aunt, Carolyn Tippens, said her niece was a happy person who always set clear goals and then achieved them.
“She was the type of person I would classify as complete,” she said. “She has accomplished all her dreams.”
Clewesto Smith said his daughter’s career excited her. After college, she took a marketing job in Las Colinas with PC Service Source, an information technology company. She later moved with the company to Los Angeles before accepting the job with Blackground Records in New York about a year ago.
“She always wanted a job that involved traveling and making money,” he said. “She wouldn’t have been happy had she not gone that route.”
Smith graduated in 1989 from Fort Worth’s Southwest High School, where she participated in home economics and concert choir, said Eileen Houston-Stewart, communications director for the Fort Worth Independent School District. Smith also attended Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
