Less than three weeks ago, Coburg Mayor Ray Smith opened a city council meeting by telling his stunned colleagues that the cancer in his liver was rapidly spreading, and that he was entering hospice care the very next day.
Smith had served as Coburg's mayor since 2016. Before that, he was on both the City Council and the Planning Commission of the small community just north of Eugene.
“It’s been a real joy (to serve)," he said during the Oct. 11 meeting. "This has been a big part of my life, and very rewarding to me. I just can't think of any other group I would rather belong to."
Smith received a standing ovation from city council members, who later voted to rename the council chamber in his honor.
That meeting was the final one he oversaw as mayor. According to an announcement from the City of Coburg, Smith died Thursday morning.
"Ray was a shining light and an outstanding leader for our community," read the statement. "The City of Coburg thrived under his leadership. He will be greatly missed."
Smith's death leaves a vacancy in the mayor's office for the first time since 2016. In fact, no one—Smith included—filed to run for the position on this November's ballot.
According to a news release from the Lane Council of Governments, Smith worked for the Eugene Springfield Fire Department for more than 25 years, retiring in 2018 as a Fire Captain/Paramedic.
“Mayor Smith was a dedicated public servant who cared deeply for our region and was passionate about making a difference in his community," said Brenda Wilson, Lane Council of Governments Executive Director. "Even with his failing health, he was still committed to carry out his mayoral duties and honor the trust the public put in him. He is gone far too soon."
Other local leaders praised Smith.
"Mayor Smith was a great mayor, and I know he'll be missed across Lane County," wrote Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon on Facebook. "My condolences to his family and the city of Coburg."