Friends are recalling former longtime Blawnox Mayor Tom Smith as the ultimate figurehead for the small Allegheny River town.
He founded the Thomas M. Smith Funeral Home in 1966 and later delved into local politics as a way to spur community revitalization.
“My family knew him all our life, and he was a fantastic man,” Councilwoman Katie Coban said.
“He knew everyone in town because of that business.”
Smith, 81, passed away Jan. 5.
Not long after opening his business, Smith was appointed mayor, a position he held for 40 years.
“He did so much for the community in his 40 years (in service),” current Mayor Anthony Gross said. “He was very active in bettering the infrastructure here and making the town safer and more livable.
“If you ask others who have served on council over the years, they will tell you that Tom Smith demonstrated how important it was to put the community first, through mentoring and through his own service. Tom put Blawnox on the map. We all owe him for that.”
During his tenure, Smith used his myriad connections to lobby for funding to revitalize the borough.
Smith helped secure a $20,000 grant in the early 2000s for the first project sought by the then-fledgling Blawnox Redevelopment Corporation — the design and installation of portal signs welcoming people to town.
He secured a spot at the north end of town, negotiating a $1-per-year lease with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to erect a welcome sign.
Gross said he had big shoes to fill when he took Smith’s position.
“He asked me to promise him that I would always keep the best interest of the community in mind when making any decisions or plans for our borough,” Gross said.
Coban added: “As mayor, Tom made sure everyone had a part in making Blawnox a town with family values. He knew that mayors come and go, but the past formed us to build for the future together.”
Smith resigned his post in 2012.
He is survived by his wife, Janet, two children and five grandchildren.
