Donald Smallwood

Donald Smallwood was born on December 7th, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the child of Muriel Smallwood and William Brown. In 1956 Muriel married John Spencer Clark, who became Donald's stepfather. The family grew with the birth of Donald's stepbrother, John Christopher Clark. Although Donald and "Chris" had a 7-year age gap, the two boys played, argued, and made up with each other as brothers are known to do. Together, the two of them could be a handful with their parents and especially with visiting babysitters! Donald attended Philadelphia public schools and took several classes at Community College of Philadelphia. He held various jobs as a young man before joining the US Department of Defense as a Civil Service worker, following in the footsteps of his mother and stepfather. He worked in that capacity for many years before retiring. Donald's great love, however, was entertainment news. He loved keeping up with the stars of movies, TV, the stage, R&B music, and the sports world. He was a big fan of James Bond movies and the 7Gers basketball team. In his spare time, Donald worked as a freelance entertainment reporter for publications such as The Westside Weekly and Scoop USA. He interviewed such noted celebrities as James Earl Jones, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dana Carvey:Goldie Hawn, Jane Seymour, Vivica A. Fox, Pam Grier, and others. Donald had a gift of encouragement and used that gift often to lift the spirits of others -- even strangers. He rarely forgot a birthday or anniversary and was known for sending out Thank You cards to those who had helped him in some way.Late in life, Donald received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, securing a place in Heaven and the free gift of everlasting life. He departed for his eternal home on January 15, 2026. His family and friends will miss him dearly until we are reunited in Heaven. Donald, thank you for your kindness. your smile, and your encouragement! Till we meet again! Lovingly submitted, The Family