Beloved Tuscaloosa Teen, Celebrity Chef Dies Days Before 18th Birthday

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Multiple sources have confirmed to Patch that beloved teen celebrity chef and Tuscaloosa native Fuller Goldsmith died Tuesday, just a few days short of his 18th birthday and following a heroic, nearly lifelong battle with cancer.

Fuller achieved fame and notoriety by winning "Chopped Junior" at the age of 13 and rubbing elbows with some of his heroes like Curtis Stone, Gail Simmons, Richard Blais and Guy Fieri. He also became a popular fixture in the Tuscaloosa culinary scene, outpacing much older professional chefs.

One representative from Tuscaloosa Academy told Patch that the football team plans to honor Fuller with helmet decals and possibly more, as the heartbreaking news is still fresh on the minds of the countless people the young chef inspired through his well-documented battle with cancer for most of his life. He hadn't attended school in person for some time, but was loved as one of TA's own during his short time.

Patch made Fuller the subject of a personality profile last August and had the opportunity to learn more about a young man who had overcome so much to find his passion in the kitchen.

Click here to read our in-depth profile on Fuller Goldsmith that appeared on Patch in August 2020

Since the age of three, Fuller had received treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and in 2019, he was receiving treatment at Seattle Children's as part of immunotherapy clinical trials that resulted in his cancer going into remission.

After a two-month hospital stay, Fuller was in high spirits and told me he felt great as he looked forward to getting back in the kitchen at Southern Ale House — the Tuscaloosa eatery where he worked 2-3 days a week when his schedule would allow.

"Fuller lived to create delicious dishes and became the little brother to big brother Brett Garner our Executive Chef," said Southern Ale House's Robert C. Holt on Facebook Tuesday. "He spent a lot of time in the SAH kitchen helping prep, serve, and create recipes. We will miss his presence, his smile, his laugh, his banter back and forth with Brett, and his grit as fought the aches and pains of a terrible disease."

He also had the expressed goal of one day opening a restaurant in Birmingham similar to Hot and Hot Fish Club, which is run by one of his heroes and mentors, Chef Chris Hastings. Fuller also hoped to return to Hot and Hot to cook once the pandemic subsided.

"There were definitely the low points going through all the treatment," he said in our interview last August after receiving news his cancer had gone into remission. "But I always said to myself there's a light at the end of the tunnel and good things will come from this one bad thing."

Funeral arrangements for Fuller Goldsmith have not been announced at this time.

This is a developing story. Be sure to keep on the lookout for more on the life and legacy of Fuller Goldsmith in the days to come.