Thu | Mar 28, 2024

Jamaican live-in nanny among Virginia plane crash victims

Published:Wednesday | June 7, 2023 | 9:33 AM
Smith, known lovingly as 'Nanny V', was killed alongside Adina Azarian, 49, and her two-year-old daughter Aria. - Contributed photo

One of the passengers killed in Sunday's tragic Virginia plane crash was Jamaican live-in nanny Evadnie Smith.

Smith, known lovingly as 'Nanny V', was killed alongside Adina Azarian, 49, and her two-year-old daughter Aria.

The pilot, a skilled aviator with decades of experience, also died in the crash.

The Associated Press has reported that Smith was known for her "generous portions of plantain porridge."

Azarian, a well-known luxury broker, conceived her daughter during the pandemic, then hired Smith, 56, as a live-in nanny in her East Hampton home.

Smith travelled frequently with the mother and daughter, serving as a calming counterweight to Azarian's occupation of high-stress deal-making.

“Adina used to joke that she'd hired the nanny not just for her daughter, but for herself,” recalled Raphael Avigdor, a longtime friend of the realtor. He said he was so impressed that he hired Smith's stepsister to care for his mother in Florida.

Smith leaves behind one son in Jamaica.

Prior to the crash, Azarian, her daughter Aria and Smith were in North Carolina to visit Azarian's adoptive parents, the prominent Republican donors John and Barbara Rumpel.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.