This article by Gregory Frye was originally published on The Bluntness, and appears here with permission. They built an empire together. Dan Gasby with his late wife Barbara Smith (better known as B. Smith) opened restaurants, ran a magazine, cultivated a retail line, produced a TV show… Together the couple accomplished what most only dream of – defeating the odds every step of the way. Nobody could stop them. And then it happened. In 2013, Smith was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Over the next few years, as she slowly declined, Gasby transitioned from full-time executive powerhouse to a 24/7 caregiver as this cruel disease destroyed the beautiful, vibrant mind of his life partner.