(June 9, 1947-May 31, 2004)

NORWOOD--The funeral for Willard E. Smith, 56, Norwood, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Buck Funeral Home here with the Rev. Leon B. Sweeney, pastor of Knapps Station Community Church, officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Heuvelton.

Mr. Smith died Monday evening in Fletcher-Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vt., of complications of heart surgery.

Calling hours will be 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.

As an aspiring politician, Mr. Smith ran for his first political office at age 18 in 1965 when he waged a write-in bid for Third Ward supervisor in Ogdensburg. He received one vote. In 1968 he sought the Republican primary nomination for assemblyman in the 110th Assembly District, and in following years ran for numerous offices, including county treasurer, village mayor and trustee, and Potsdam town supervisor.

He won his first political contest by one vote and served as Norwood mayor from 1981 to 1983. He later was a trustee from 1992 to 1994.

A supporter of former presidential candidate and Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot, Mr. Smith ran for Assembly in 1996, finishing third behind incumbent Chloe Ann O’Neil, R-Parishville, and Democrat Jason Clark. He ran again for Assembly in 1998 after Mrs. O’Neil announced her retirement, but again finished third behind then-Gouverneur Mayor Dierdre K. Scozzafava, a Republican, and Democrat Frank A. Pastizzo.

In 2000, Mr. Smith challenged Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, and again finished third behind the incumbent and Democrat Neil P. Tallon. In that year, he also established the Independence Party’s St. Lawrence County Committee with the state Board of Elections. He had served as its chairman ever since.

He was an accountant and bookkeeper for Barstow Motors in Potsdam for several years, retiring because of disability.

In 1964 he founded the St. Lawrence County Teenage Republican Club. He was a St. Lawrence County and town of Potsdam Republican committeeman for many years and was an avid collector or presidential campaign memorabilia.

Born June 9, 1947, in Hermon, son of Cecil E. and Cecile Woodrow Smith, he graduated from Hermon-DeKalb Central School, DeKalb Junction, in 1965 and from Ogdensburg Business School.

Surviving are a sister and her husband, Thelma and Clifford Bullock, Edwards, and nieces and nephews.

A brother, William G., died in 1951.

Donations may be made to the American Heart Association or a charity of one’s choice.

( From the Thursday, June 3, 2004 edition of the Watertown Daily Times, page D7).