Former Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Smith has died, according to a Facebook post by his brother, a former county prosecutor.
Eric Smith posted that his brother died after a yearslong battle with cancer.
County Executive Mark Hackel, who has known the Smiths since they were in their late teens and saw Bob Smith at the gym a couple of months ago, said April 6 that Bob Smith “was really good at being a gentleman no matter what. He was always very easygoing, very approachable, a very likeable guy.”
Eric Smith recently announced his brother’s death, writing: “I can’t believe I have to write this. … I am struggling to find the words to articulate just how brokenhearted we are. … We are deeply saddened, but trying to find comfort knowing he is no longer suffering and that he is home with Felisha.”
Bob Smith’s wife, Felisha, died nearly two years ago after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to her obituary.
Eric Smith wrote that his brother “was incredibly strong,” especially in the last couple of years, with his focus on making sure his two sons were loved and taken care of.
“That was his heart, his purpose, his everything,” he wrote. “You all knew how special Bobby was … we will miss him more than words can ever express.”
He said funeral arrangements will be announced and a GoFundMe will be set up to help Bob Smith’s children.
The county board sent sympathies to Bob Smith’s family, with comment from Board Chairman Joe Sabatini, who — along with Bob Smith — first became commission members in 2011.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of Bob’s passing. We began our service together as Commissioners during the transition to an executive form of government, a time that required vision, collaboration, and a shared commitment to getting it right,” Sabatini said.
“Together, we worked to shape and establish the legislative branch as it functions today — work that will continue to impact our community for years to come. He was a dedicated public servant, and I will always value the partnership we shared and the foundation we built together. He will be greatly missed.”
Bob Smith, who was in his 60s, became the board chairman in 2017. He led the creation of the Older Adult Advisory Committee and expanded membership of the Veterans’ Affairs Commission, according to the board statement.
He was a lifelong county resident, graduating from Chippewa Valley High School and Central Michigan University, and earned his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, according his firm’s website. He was licensed in 2015, practicing in areas of elder law and advocacy, general practice, guardianship and conservatorship, according to the State Bar of Michigan.
He served 25 years with the Clinton Township Fire Department, retiring in 2011 as fire marshal. He was elected to the county’s charter commission, which established the executive and 13-member board form of government.
Bob Smith, a Democrat from Clinton Township, served on the county board for a decade. He spent the last four years as chairman.
His relatives were longtime public servants. His father, Robert Smith Sr., was the longest-serving police chief in the county when he retired from Clinton Township police and his mother, Stella, worked for 42 years at Chippewa Valley schools as an accountant/bookkeeper.
His brother, Eric Smith, resigned in 2020 after a long stint as prosecutor, after which he was sentenced in federal court for stealing from his campaign fund and in state court for misusing money from an elected office.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Smith dies
Reporting by Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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