R.I.P.: Stephanie Smallwood, Lafayette LA, Personality

Stephanie Smallwood

Stephanie Smallwood, a beloved radio personality in Lafayette, Louisiana, passed away early on Sunday morning after battling an illness that began in October 2025. She had retired from her on-air role on December 1, 2025.

She was a longtime DJ and program director at KFXZ Z105.9 (an Adult R&B station owned by Delta Media Corporation), where she was described as the "heart and soul" and "backbone" of the station. 

Her warm voice and deep connection with listeners made her a trusted fixture in the Acadiana community for years, shaping the station's sound and building lasting bonds with thousands across Lafayette and surrounding areas.

Delta Media's General Manager Johnette Cochran expressed profound shock and heartbreak, noting Stephanie's passion for her audience and the airwaves. Even competing stations, like Townsquare Media Lafayette, extended condolences, highlighting her broad impact on local radio.

Her broadcasting career spanned decades: she started in radio at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's KRVS station (known then as USL), later spent 14 years in TV news at KATC-TV3, and returned to radio at Z105.9 around 2013, eventually rising to program and music director roles.

The Acadiana region is indeed mourning this loss, with local news outlets like KATC, KADN, and 107.9 iShot reporting on her passing and celebrating her legacy as a pioneering voice in Southwest Louisiana radio.