Former Pinehurst Mayor Steven J. Smith, the first mayor to be directly elected by the village's residents, died Sunday. He was 69.

Smith was mayor from 1999 to 2007, an active time in the village. Under Smith’s leadership, the village made a number of significant moves, including the adoption of its first Comprehensive Long-Range Plan and a charter provision that allowed for the direct election of the mayor.

Smith had been battling cancer for a number of months. A celebration of his life will be held at Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Southern Pines at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Village Manager Andy Wilkison, who worked with Smith throughout his tenure, said he admired Smith’s courage to take the lead on critical issues.

“I think he really came to be mayor of Pinehurst at a very important time in the village’s history,” he said. “I feel that we were evolving into a more diverse community. It wasn’t just a retirement community anymore.”

He said Smith led the village through a time where it needed to adjust its approach and services for a younger population, and that he made a point to be sensitive to the village’s business needs.

The village also pursued the purchase of its own water infrastructure from the Moore County under Smith. While Pinehurst voters approved a bond referendum in 2003 to pay for the purchase, the deal ultimately failed after the county pulled the plug on it.

“The thing we worked so hard on and he took the worst beating for, maybe, was the fact that we didn’t pull off that water system purchase,” said Councilman Doug Lapins, who served on the Village Council with Smith from 2001 to 2007. “You can’t imagine the time and effort we both put in on that. That was just unfortunate, because that was just a great, great effort.”

Lapins said working with Smith was fun, and though they disagreed on some issues, he said they had mutual respect for one another. Lapins said Smith was a “good foil” at times.

Wilkison credited Smith with bringing the village’s water and utility issues to the forefront. He said the idea of taking a regional approach to those problems began under Smith’s leadership.

In 2003, Smith and the council approved the village’s first Comprehensive Long-Range Plan, a guide for the village’s future. Wilkison said Smith and his council pushed for the plan, and Smith chaired the steering committee that drafted it.

“I think that was wonderful,” said Mayor Ginsey Fallon, who served on council with Smith during his two terms. “It was something that gave us a road map. He established that as a good precedent.”

Next week, the council is expected to adopt an update for the original long-range plan.

Like Lapins, Fallon looked back on Smith’s tenure fondly. She praised Smith’s business acumen and ability to work with the council.

A Pennsylvania native, Smith graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962 with a degree in industrial management. From there, he went on to enjoy a successful career in business.

He worked in human resources and labor relations with Whirlpool and Engelhard Industries. He later became president of Ryan Homes, and was the director of the boards of two New York Stock Exchange companies.

He and his wife, Becky, retired to Pinehurst in 1990. Smith became deeply involved in his new community, volunteering for numerous boards and organizations.

He was a member of Brownson Church and part of the Tin Whistles. He founded and served as president of the Bill Jones Foundation.

He was also a habitual volunteer at the area’s major golf tournaments, including the U.S Open and U.S. Women’s Open.

He was committed to FirstHealth of the Carolinas and Moore Regional Hospital, serving in various capacities. He joined the Moore Regional Hospital board in 1992 and served as chairman in 1997. He was chairman of the FirstHealth board from 1998 to 1999. He rejoined the board after his two terms as mayor, and served from 2008 to 2010.

"My sincere condolences go out to his wife Becky and family during this most difficult time," said Charles T. Frock, CEO of FirstHealth of the Carolinas. "Our community will miss Steve, and we will never forget his contributions and his accomplishments as mayor of Pinehurst. He was a leader in every sense of the word, and Pinehurst is a better place because of him.

“Steve was also a friend, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to know him. He touched many lives and was a tireless advocate for Pinehurst and for FirstHealth. The FirstHealth family is mourning the loss of a wonderful FirstHealth board member and past chairman."

As mayor, Wilkison said Smith worked diligently to strengthen the relationship between the village and the hospital and Pinehurst Resort.

Smith decided to launch a political career in 1999, and mounted a successful run for the council. He was the top vote-getter in the election that year. The council chose him as mayor a few weeks later.

One of the hallmarks of Smith’s tenure was moving the village to the direct election of the mayor. An amendment to the village charter allowing it was passed with overwhelming support from voters — nearly a 3-1 margin — in 2001.

After the measure passed, Smith said, “The vote showed that the people, as a whole, felt strongly that they ought to be electing their mayor. I felt strongly about that before I became mayor. It was one of my platform planks. Changing the mayor at the whim of the council is not a very good system.”

In 2003, Smith ran unopposed, and became the first directly elected mayor in the village’s history. Even after stepping aside when his second term ended in 2007, Wilkison said Smith remained engaged with the community.

“It just doesn’t seem possible,” Fallon said of his death. “My heart is broken for Becky. They were such a lovely couple. He was a good family man — a good man, community-minded. It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Contact John Krahnert III by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.