TOPSAIL BEACH — A Pender County coastal community is grieving the passing of its top leader.
Mayor Steve Smith has had ties to the Topsail Beach community for six decades. The town announced Smith died in his sleep on Friday, Sept. 13.
The mayor was serving his second term in the position, though his time as a public servant goes back a decade. Before becoming mayor in 2019, Smith served as a Topsail Beach Commissioner.
During that time, he also has been on the Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Commission, both as vice-chair and chairman, and director of the North Carolina Beach, Inlet and Waterway Association. Smith also was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area and trustee for the Historical Society of Topsail Island.
Smith’s goal in leading the island was to maintain its family-friendly approach, he told PCD during his 2023 mayoral campaign.
“Our community wants to remain easy going, quiet,” he said. “We support our few businesses and do not want the aggressive growth seen in other communities. It is important we apply the values our parents used as they developed Topsail Beach and keep Topsail Beach a desirable destination for families, friends and our visitors.”
A retired international business executive, Smith received numerous accolades, including Most Respected CEO’s in East Africa, and was chairman for the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, and vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce of Kenya, among other titles.
The town praised in its release Saturday Smith’s passion for “visionary” leadership.
“In addition to being a true friend and dedicated public servant, he was also a loving husband, father and grandfather who was adored by his family,” the release detailed, adding Smith’s “wisdom and compassion” will leave a void.
Smith’s funeral arrangements are being made; he is survived by his wife, Dr. Edna Cascioli Smith. They owned property on the island since 1968.
Port City Daily reached out to the Town of Topsail regarding next steps, seeing as Smith was in year one of a four-year term. A response was not received by press but will be updated upon receipt.
Topsail’s Mayor Pro Tem is Morton Blanchard. The mayor pro tem steps up as needed in place of a mayor’s absence and “exercises all of the functions of the mayor, including discretionary, ministerial, executive and administrative, legislative and judicial or quasi-judicial powers,” according to Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law.
Have tips or concerns? Email info@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
