JOAN BARRON | Posted: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 12:00 am
Star-Tribune capital bureau
CHEYENNE - Former State Treasurer Stanford S. Smith, a naval officer, legislator and rancher, died Saturday, Nov. 15, surrounded by family and friends at his home in Sun City, Ariz., following a long struggle with cancer.
Smith, 80, served one term in the Wyoming Senate and two terms in the Wyoming House before running for state treasurer in 1982. He was elected three more times and retired in January 1999.
When he announced his candidacy for a fourth term as treasurer in 1994, he was candid about his treatment for prostate cancer. His physician attended a news conference and attested to Smith's ability to serve.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church, 108 E. 18th Street in Cheyenne. Coffee and cake will be served in Alison Hall following the ceremony.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal described Smith as "one of the greatest strengths state government had."
"His integrity and intelligence were undeniable and he will be sorely missed," Freudenthal said in a release.
"My heart goes out to his family who share the same hometown as mine and were always great friends," he continued. "I offer them my condolences and assure them that Stan's contributions to Wyoming will not be forgotten."
Former Gov. Jim Geringer, who served with Smith on state boards and commissions for four years, said Smith was "a pretty special guy."
"I've never known Stan to really be upset for more than a few minutes," Geringer said. "He was really a happy guy. He always had an optimistic outlook. So did his wife, Harriet."
Smith, he said, was the number one defender of agriculture in Wyoming, having an agricultural background.
"He had his share of scrapes when people disagreed with him but he always went after what he believed in," Geringer said.
Smith, he said, was treasurer when Geringer first was elected to the Wyoming House.
Smith had Republican primary opposition in his first race in 1982 from Craig Thomas, now a U.S. senator.
Former Gov. Mike Sullivan, who served on state boards and commissions with Smith for eight years from 1987 to 1995, said of Smith, "He was a dedicated public servant who loved Wyoming and loved Wyoming's people."
Secretary of State Joe Meyer, former deputy director of the Legislative Service Office, remembers Smith when he was in the Legislature and served on the Joint Appropriations Committee.
"I think gaining that knowledge of state finance propelled his interest in being state treasurer," he said.
Meyer said that when Smith campaigned statewide, he never gave typical campaign speeches, but entertained the voters by playing his violin while accompanied by his wife, Harriet, on a portable piano.
Meyer recalled that when he was attorney general in the Sullivan administration, he and Smith had disagreements.
"But I never doubted his integrity," he added. "He was just a piece of Wyoming."
Smith was born on Oct. 20, 1923, in Denver. He was raised on a cattle ranch near Thermopolis.
After graduating from high school he attended Cal Tech and Stanford University. He was later appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy - where he was a classmate of former President Jimmy Carter - and graduated in 1946 in the top third of his class.
Among his various assignments, he commanded the U.S.S. Mocking Bird during the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star. His ship received the Presidential Unit Citation. Before retiring from the Navy in 1954, Smith was an instructor of marine engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy.
During his 25 years of ranching near Thermopolis, he served twice as Hot Springs County Commissioner; was president of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association from 1976 to 1978, and a director of the Wyoming Production Credit Association from 1970 to 1978.
He was president of the National Association of State Treasurers from 1990 to 1991.
Smith is survived by his wife of 56 years, Harriet, of Sun City, Ariz.; a son and grandson, Franklin and Ryan Smith of Rock Springs; a daughter, Monta, and her husband, Carlos Ramirez of Acarigua, Venezuela; a granddaughter, Ali, and her husband, Chace Ravelli, of Cheyenne; and a sister, Elizabeth Ray, of Aiken, S.C.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Cancer Society, the Hospice of the Valley at 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ, 85014-5656, or the Senior Citizen Center of Thermopolis at 206 Senior Ave., Thermopolis, 82443.
A full obituary will run later this week on the Obituary page, B3.