When public curiosity surrounds a tragic personal loss, the details often get buried beneath sensational headlines and speculative digital noise. The passing of Evan Taylor Smedley, daughter of actress Lana Wood and production figure Richard Smedley, drew public attention due to her family's prominent Hollywood legacy, including her relationship to her late aunt, screen icon Natalie Wood.
On July 18, 2017, Evan Smedley (also known as Evan Taylor Maldonado) passed away at Providence Tarzana Hospital in Los Angeles at the age of forty-two. Her death followed a severe cardiac event that resulted in irreversible heart failure, concluding years of underlying health struggles that stemmed from previous medical treatments.
Understanding the Medical Background
The primary cause of Smedley's passing was heart failure, triggered by a sudden and massive cardiac arrest. However, understanding the context requires looking at her long-term medical history. Years prior to her death, Smedley had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
While she successfully fought the cancer, the conventional treatments of the era—specifically radiation therapy targeted near the chest cavity—left lasting physiological impacts. Radiation treatment to the chest frequently carries long-term risks to surrounding vital organs, most notably the heart muscle and the pulmonary system. Over time, these residual effects compromised her cardiovascular and respiratory health, requiring ongoing medical management and oxygen support.
Final Days and Hospitalization
In mid-July 2017, Smedley suffered a catastrophic failure of her heart, leading to an immediate hospitalization at Providence Tarzana Hospital. She spent approximately one week in a medically induced coma while healthcare teams attempted to stabilize her cardiac and respiratory functions.
Despite intensive life support interventions, diagnostic evaluations indicated that her brain and heart had sustained irreversible damage from oxygen deprivation during the cardiac event. Facing the reality of the prognosis, her family made the difficult decision to withdraw life support after she received last rites. She passed away peacefully on July 18, 2017, surrounded by immediate family members, including her mother, Lana Wood.
Navigating Loss in the Public Eye
Because of her family lineage, Smedley's life and passing intersected with public interest in the Lana Wood family history. Her mother, Lana Wood, had spent decades in the entertainment industry, famously starring in films like Diamonds Are Forever and maintaining a lifelong connection to the legacy of her sister, Natalie Wood.
When Smedley passed, the family was already navigating significant personal and financial stressors, including housing instability in Southern California. Friends and supporters organized relief efforts, such as public memorial fundraisers, to help the family handle final arrangements and memorial services held at the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura, California.
Common Misconceptions Regarding the Event
Digital rumors often misattribute celebrity family deaths to mysterious circumstances or sudden accidents. In Smedley's case, internet speculation occasionally conflated her medical history with unrelated Hollywood tragedies.
- Misconception: The passing was sudden and unexplained.
- Fact: Her death was the result of acute heart failure following years of compromised health linked to late-effect complications from cancer treatments.
- Misconception: She passed away outside of a medical facility.
- Fact: She was under continuous acute care at Providence Tarzana Hospital in Los Angeles before life support was discontinued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Evan Smedley?
Evan Taylor Smedley (later Evan Taylor Maldonado) was the daughter of actress Lana Wood and producer Richard Smedley, and the niece of actress Natalie Wood. She lived a largely private life away from mainstream Hollywood acting.
What was the official cause of death?
Her official cause of death was acute heart failure, precipitated by a massive cardiac arrest and compounded by historical pulmonary and cardiovascular damage from past radiation therapy.
How old was she when she passed away?
She was 42 years old, born on August 11, 1974, and passing away on July 18, 2017.
Where did the memorial take place?
A public memorial service was held on July 29, 2017, at the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Ventura, California.
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