Who is Diane Avis? Everything you need to know about Fred Smith’s wife and family

The founder of FedEx, best known for their delivery services, Fred Smith, died on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the age of 80, as reported by Parade. The news of his death was announced by current CEO Raj Subramaniam in a memo to the staff.

The company was founded in 1971 as Federal Express in Little Rock and went on to become the world's largest transportation company. Fred is survived by his second wife, Diane Avis, with whom he had eight children, including the film producer Molly Smith, who has produced films like P.S. I Love You and The Good Lie. Molly owns a production company, Black Label Media, based out of Los Angeles.

More about Fred Smith and his family

The news of Smith's passing came on Saturday. The statement read:

''It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I share that Frederick W. Smith, our founder and executive chairman, died earlier today. Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company. He was the heart and soul of FedEx – its PSP culture, values, integrity, and spirit. He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all.''

It further read:

''He was also a proud father, grandfather, husband, Marine, and friend; please keep the entire Smith family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. As we begin to process this tremendous loss, it is important that we take care of one another and demonstrate the passion and compassion that Fred embodied every day. In the coming days and weeks, I know we will all find ways to honor his memory and pay tribute to his legacy.''

Before Diane, Smith was previously married to Linda Black Grisham from 1969 to 1977. He had two children with her, Windland Smith Rice and Richard W. Smith. Smith was a father to ten children in total from both his marriages.

Among his children is Arthur William Smith, who is a football coach and the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and an assistant coach for the Tennessee Titans.

Richard W. Smith is his eldest son, who works as a high-level executive at FedEx and is currently the president and CEO of FedEx Express. Among the youngest of Smith's ten children is Cannon Smith, who is a former football player, actor, and producer.

As per KBTX, Smith suffered from a heart attack and passed away shortly thereafter. He had stepped down as the CEO of the company in 2022; however, he had remained as the executive chairman.

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