From the obituary of D. Edward Smith who was the first mayor of DeBary, Florida (
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"Donald E. Smith, remembered as a passionate professor of aeronautical science and a pioneering visionary of DeBary government, died Sunday night at his home after an illness, said Sid Vihlen Jr., a neighbor and longtime friend.
He was 66.
According to News-Journal archives, Smith grew up in Jacksonville, played football and baseball at Parker High School and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1968. He was trained as a fighter pilot and few with an aggressor squadron before being posted in Liberia as a defense naval attache, said Dan Macchiarella, who chairs the aeronautical science department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Smith retired as a commander.
He served two years as a commercial airline pilot, then in 1992 took a position at Embry-Riddle teaching aeronautical science.
“He was an outspoken Navy fighter pilot and expert in aerodynamics and aircraft performance,” Macchiarella said. “He passed his love for those topics on to his students through his enthusiasm.”
Smith retired from Embry-Riddle in 1997, earning professor emeritus status.
He also led the effort to incorporate DeBary in 1993 and then served as the city’s first mayor.
Larry Arrington, now the director of planning for Pinellas County, was DeBary’s first city manager.
“He was visionary. He was tough and courageous when he needed to be. One of the best elected officials I worked for,” Arrington said. “His training as a Top Gun aviator showed in his personality. He was focused on his mission.”
Smith’s vision for DeBary was a low-taxes city that avoided bureaucracy by contracting for many of the services it provided for its residents. The city remains the lowest-taxed municipality in Volusia County.
George Sellery, senior manager of finance for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, was a Volusia County employee when he worked closely with Smith during the effort to incorporate DeBary. He said Smith had the “perfect personality” to deal with critics.
“He set the tone for the city,” Sellery said. “He was fair and even-handed in everything he did.”
Smith is survived by his wife, Jane, and three adult children, Vihlen said."