Orange County ombudsman Chase Smith died the afternoon of Aug. 28, surrounded by his family members, and the city and county government officials who considered him family.
Smith, 41, was an active public servant for Central Florida government. He worked as an aide to Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan from 2004-2011. He then served as Orange County ombudsman and performed outreach for Orange County mayor Teresa Jacobs. During that time, Smith made a run for Orlando City Commissioner District Seat 1, but was stalled during the primary elections.
Smith was diagnosed with lymphoma several months ago. According to Sheehan, doctors were performing some tests when he contracted a fever that caused his organs to shut down.
“He was a 4th generation Floridian,” Sheehan said. “He loved the state and he loved serving. [Smith’s death] is a tremendous loss to all of us.”
Sheehan said Smith was the youngest person serving on the Wauchula City Council when he came to interview for a job in Orlando, where he told Sheehan, “I want to work in the big city.”
“He absolutely was tenacious and wanted to help people,” Sheehan said. “Everything from a pothole to a tree planting to a chipped sidewalk, Chase was all over it.”
She described Smith as “a proud gay man,” and said his influence will be felt for a long time.
“He got too see a lot of changes in his lifetime,” Sheehan said. “People may have had issues with him not pushing [LGBT issues] at [Orange] county. He was loyal to his boss and tried to lead by example. I know he left an indelible mark on [Mayor Jacobs]. She’s forever changed for having worked with him.”
In a statement, Jacobs said she and her staff are “devastated” by Smith’s death.
“Chase was absolutely made for public service,” she said. “He cared so deeply about people and was steadfast in serving our community. He served as inspiration for young people, and for me as well. Along with his family, I am heartbroken to have lost him at such a young age.”
Sheehan said Smith was “kind of an introvert” but every Easter, he loved to put on “this big pink bunny suit” and help out with the egg hunts at Thornton Park, Colonialtown and Lake Como. She said the city plans to create a Strengthen Orlando account with the goal of raising enough money to plant a Tabebuia tree with a plaque, because they bloom pink in the spring, around Easter time. The account will be available at CityOfOrlando.net for public contributions.
“We spend more time with people at work than we do our own families,” Sheehan said. “He really was a member of my family.”
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