Clinton County has lost one of its best examples of community pride and volunteerism this week with the passing of former Clinton County Commissioner Robert “Pete” Smeltz.

Elected commissioner in 2012, Pete would earn two terms on the board, each of them as chair after receiving the largest number of votes — showcasing his ability to offer nonpartisan approaches to issues facing the county.

Pete Smeltz is a name many of our readers know and one I was first introduced to in 2017 when I attended my first commissioners’ meeting at the Garden Building.

I was 19 and a very green reporter with limited experience, particularly where county government was concerned.

I don’t remember much about the meeting, but I can recall Pete introducing himself to me with his signature warm smile. This made me feel a bit more at ease. Whether he knew it or not, just a brief introduction really helped ease my anxieties that day.

Being a friendly individual is something I feel many would agree was a trademark of Pete’s personality.

Pete chose in 2011 to run for county commissioner, coming out of retirement as a Maintenance Manager for PennDOT in Clinton County. The push to help his community continued even after he fully retired.

When I ran into him and his wife, Deb, we sometimes joked that neither of them could help themselves but keep busy with various projects and community events.

Even after choosing not to run for re-election in 2020, Pete could be seen all over Clinton County.

Maybe you saw him when you picked up your meals at a Lock Haven Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner or blueberry sale; or at a build day for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. It’s possible you even saw him showing support for a number of local events like LH Jams on Main Street (he and Deb even volunteered to help sell T-shirts on behalf of Clinton County Tourism and the Clinton County Arts Council those days, too).

One thing always remained clear no matter where you saw him: Pete loved this county and its community. And he always looked to see it become even better.

During his time as commissioner, Pete was integral in the creation of the Bald Eagle Valley Trail, a recreational landmark for the area that continues to wind its way toward the nearby Pine Creek Rail Trail in Lycoming County.

Even after leaving office, he still continued to help the project when he and others created the Friends of the Bald Eagle Valley Trail, a group that works with county government to ensure the recreational landmark is clean and maintained.

Volunteering for groups like the Friends wasn’t uncommon for Pete. He was a longtime member of the Lock Haven Kiwanis Club, he was a former president of the Sugar Valley Lions Club and SEDA-COG Natural Gas Cooperative Board and served on the board for the Salvation Army of Lock Haven and was part of the Valley of Williamsport Scottish Rite, Lafayette Masonic Lodge in Lock Haven, the Clinton County Historical Society and the Clinton County Redevelopment Authority.

In this world filled with so much division and opposition, Pete Smeltz showcased the power of unity and focusing on a shared goal we all have: Bettering our community. And he wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and do the work to make it happen.

He serves as a shining example of a person we should all strive to be. I hope seeing the accomplishments he made, his civic work and his volunteer efforts will inspire others to be just like Pete. I know it certainly serves as an inspiration to me.

A man of faith, he was someone who chose to focus on what can be done to better things, rather than focus on the bad.

Though Pete is no longer here physically, his legacy and impact will live on.

In his family.

In his friends.

In those projects he helped to create and maintain.

And in all the lives he touched in small and large ways. I feel extremely lucky that I was one of those many who had the opportunity to know Pete.

Even if you didn’t know him, do something good today to honor a man who spent years, even in retirement, finding ways to make life better for those around him. It’s one small way we can all be just like Pete.

And as Pete put it far more eloquently than even I can, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life — make it count, do good, be joyful. God may or may not give you tomorrow.”

Laura Jameson is Managing Editor of The Express.