They added that she left an unforgettable mark on their lives and on the people fortunate enough to know her.

It was a fitting description for a woman whose career crossed fashion, television, film, business, and motherhood.

Long before Hollywood audiences knew her face, Toukie Smith was making her mark on the fashion world.

She was born Doris Smith in Philadelphia on September 25, 1952.

The nickname “Toukie” reportedly came from her grandmother and would eventually become the name recognized by audiences around the world.

Smith graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology in 1972 and soon began pursuing modeling professionally.

Her career took off quickly.

She worked with some of fashion’s most influential designers, including Hubert de Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, and Issey Miyake.

She also appeared in major fashion publications and campaigns and became part of a generation of Black models breaking through barriers in an industry where opportunities had historically been limited.

In 1978, Bloomingdale’s named Smith its Model of the Year.

By then, she had already established herself as one of the most distinctive figures in New York fashion.

But modeling was only one part of what she wanted to do.

Smith eventually moved toward acting.

She appeared on television in *Miami Vice* before landing the role for which many viewers still remember her best.

In 1989, she joined the NBC sitcom *227* as Eva Rawley.

The popular series gave Smith an opportunity to show a completely different side of herself.

Instead of posing for fashion photographers, she was performing comedy for a national television audience.

Her acting work also extended to film.

She appeared in *Talkin’ Dirty After Dark*, *I Like It Like That*, and *The Preacher’s Wife*, building a résumé that showed she could move comfortably between fashion and entertainment.

Smith also pursued business ventures outside acting.

At one point, she opened a restaurant in New York, adding another chapter to a life that was never confined to a single profession.

But one of the most discussed parts of her personal life was her relationship with actor Robert De Niro.

The two began dating in 1988 and remained together until 1996.

Despite De Niro’s enormous fame, Smith generally avoided turning their relationship into a public spectacle.

She once explained her attitude toward celebrity relationships in a 1990 interview with the *Los Angeles Times*.

“What’s great about a private life is it’s private.”

That philosophy appeared to guide much of the way she lived.

Smith and De Niro welcomed twins Airyn and Julian in October 1995 through a surrogate.

Although their romantic relationship later ended, their children remained the enduring connection between them.

Julian went on to pursue acting, while Airyn has also spoken publicly about her own life and experiences.

For Smith, motherhood became another defining part of her story.

Her children’s statement following her death made clear that behind the famous modeling photographs and television appearances was a woman whose impact on her family was far more personal.

They remembered not simply the celebrity, but their mother.

Smith’s death also brings renewed attention to her long struggle with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.

Its symptoms can vary significantly from person to person and may include problems with movement, balance, vision, sensation, fatigue, and other neurological functions.

Smith’s family described her experience with the illness as a long and courageous battle.

Yet despite the health challenges she eventually faced, her public legacy stretches far beyond illness.

She was part of a generation of models who helped change the face of American fashion.

She worked with internationally respected designers.

She successfully transitioned into acting.

She became a familiar television presence.

And she built a family while maintaining a level of privacy that can be difficult to preserve when connected to one of Hollywood’s most famous actors.

For many viewers, Toukie Smith will always be remembered as Eva Rawley on *227*.

For others, she remains the striking model who worked with some of fashion’s most important names.

And for those closest to her, she was something far more meaningful.

A mother.

A sister.

A friend.

And, in the words of her children, “a force of nature.”

Toukie Smith was 74.

She leaves behind Airyn and Julian and a career that moved confidently between fashion, film, television, and life beyond the spotlight.

May she rest in peace.