A book recounting all that former Mineola Mayor Ed Smith did for his community would probably take up quite a bit of space on the bookshelf. It was that much more of a challenge, said Mayor Scott Strauss, to fit the work of the dedicated Mineola resident onto the small plaque, which memorializes Smith as a John S. DaVanzo Wall of Honor award recipient.
“Don’t let the size of these plaques and the few small words fool you,” said Strauss. “All three of these men [Smith, 2015 honoree Lou Sanders and John S. DaVanzo] have shaped our village for decades to come. Not just by words, but by their actions. They set the standards.”
Strauss shared how he would accompany his father to village meetings as a child, and would watch Smith “own the room” as mayor, even during tumultuous times.
“He guided the progression of the village with a steady hand. I always looked up to him, all the way through to my adult life,” Strauss said. “Not only will he be in our hearts and memories forever, but in Village Hall, a place that he loved, where everyone can be appreciative of the work he’s done.”
Smith was officially inaugurated onto the John S. DaVanzo Wall of Honor last week during the plaque unveiling at the Mineola Chamber of Commerce meeting. The meeting, which included representatives from Mineola’s business community and members of the village board, as well as Smith’s family and the Edward Smith Mineola Lions Club, honored the life of the dedicated public servant, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 92.
Several shared kind words and memories of Smith, who spent a decade as deputy mayor, 10 years as mayor and 15 years as village assessor, before serving as vice chairman for the Town of North Hempstead’s Board of Zoning Appeals. Smith was also an active member of the Mineola Lions Club, which was renamed in 2000 in his honor. He also helped revitalize the Chamber of Commerce, bringing the organization from less than 50 members to more than 200.
The World War II and Korean War veteran also founded real estate company Edward S. Smith & Co. in 1949, going on to establish Smith & DeGroat in Mineola six years later. The company is still operating on Jericho Turnpike, under the leadership of his son, Matthew Smith.
“My dad cared so much about this village. He instilled in us the feeling that you had to serve your community. That was of utmost importance,” Matthew Smith said before his son, Patrick, unveiled the plaque. “His service to the community and to Mineola was selfless. He just cared about doing the best job he could.”
The John S. DaVanzo Wall of Honor was established in 2015, as a way to recognize residents who have dedicated themselves to making Mineola a better place. Named after John S. DaVanzo, the former North Hempstead town councilman and Mineola Village deputy mayor who was affectionately nicknamed “Mr. Mineola,” Smith joins the wall’s first honoree Lou Sanders, founder of the Mineola American and a founder of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce.
The wall and plaques are anticipated to be placed in the lobby of Village Hall, when it is remodeled in 2017.
