January 12, 2009

Guy F. Smith was born in Milwaukee (WI) on May 4, 1936, to the parents of Peter and Hattie Smith. He was one of three children and is survived by his sister, Theresa Carstens also of Milwaukee, her husband Carl, five nephews, one niece, their families and of course countless friends.

Guy attended St. Sebastian’s grade school and graduated in 1954 from Marquette University High School. He earned his B.A. in Journalism four years later at Marquette University where he was a contributing author and editor for the Marquette Journal and reporter for the university’s newspaper. In the Journal he published the award-winning essay “The Secret Life of Jimmy Thurber” and short stories such as “Mother Machree,” the tale of a “cantankerous and stubborn” old woman who daily tended her daughter’s grave, while berating and alienating the cemetery workers.

As a sports reporter he covered the now defunct and infamous Marquette football team, which purportedly failed to win a game during Guy’s tenure. On a more winning note, Guy served as the manager for Marquette’s basketball team and was named Marquette “Man of the Year” in 1958.

After a short stint in the Air Force, he received an Honorable Discharge in 1959 – “short” because he flunked parachute rigging school due to his inability to reassemble a sewing machine – then briefly wrote for the Appleton Post-Gazette before traveling to the northwest where in the early 60’s he worked in the Public Relations office of Gonzaga University in Spokane (WA), followed by graduate work in the School of Communications at the University of Washington in Seattle.

It was during these years that he first met Tom Foley with whom he maintained a life-long friendship. In the fall of 1964 he would return to Spokane briefly to serve as a campaign aide to Foley during his first and successful run for Congress from the 5th District of Washington.

In 1963, Guy moved to Washington (DC) where he would spend the rest of his life. From 1963-1964, he was legislative assistant to Congressman Clement J. Zablocki (WI), who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Once approached by suspected Russian spies, Guy reported such encounters to the FBI and CIA, and with their knowledge became the beneficiary of several Russian lunches. True or not, a career in undercover did not ensue, to our knowledge.

From 1965 to 1969, Guy worked as a legislative assistant for the United States Office of Education, where he served as a liaison to Members of Congress and committee staffs, including the House Education and Labor Committee and the Senate Labor and Welfare Committee. During these years he worked on such landmark legislation as the Higher Education Act of 1965, and helped to shepard through congress numerous Great Society programs.

In 1969, Guy began a long love affair with the people and politics of Puerto Rico. He served as a special assistant to Jorge L. Cordova, Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives (1969-72); he was Washington (DC) Representative for San Juan during the mayoralty of Carlos Romero-Barcelo (1972-76) who would become Governor; and he returned to the Hill (1977-84) to work as a senior aide to Baltasar Corrada del Rio, Puerto Rico’s new Resident Commissioner to the United States.

In all these capacities, Guy was instrumental in securing federal funds for the 78 cities of Puerto Rico and the entire commonwealth. He worked on countless pieces of legislation benefiting the people of Puerto Rico, ranging from food stamps to community development and housing programs. He took a leave-of-absence from the Hill to coordinate a federally funded project documenting federal assistance to the island. He was, as his political mentors, an ardent proponent of Statehood throughout his career and was active in the U.S. Council for Puerto Rico Statehood.

After several years as a city affairs consultant, Guy went to work in 1988 as a special assistant and senior advisor to Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of The United States Conference of Mayors. In 1995 his duties expanded when he became Managing Editor of U.S.Mayor newspaper and liaison to the National Press Club, where numerous mayors have addressed the nation through its speakers series.

Most recently, Guy assumed a role near and dear to his heart, Director of the Conference’s Student Intern program. He served the Conference and the nation’s mayors in these capacities up to his death on December 30, 2008 at his residence in Alexandria (VA).

On many occasions, Guy represented the Untied States government and mayors internationally, traveling extensively throughout Latin and South America, Cuba, and Europe on official delegations.

Beyond Guy’s professional accomplishments, he was an active and devoted resident of Alexandria and active in Virginia politics. He once corrected the Christian Science Monitor for misidentifying the narrowest house in North America, which, of course, truly can be found in Alexandria (six feet wide on 523 Queen Street).

Guy Francis Smith will be remembered for his love of people, his devotion to the underdog and ill'served, his impatience with incompetent politicians, his admiration for competent ones, his love of students, and, most of all, his humor and insight.

In his early papers Guy wrote, “Giving is receiving.” This is how he lived and understood life. We will miss him.