Former State Senator Jim Seward, a friend of Schoharie County, died Saturday.
He was 72.
Mr. Seward had been suffering from cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2016, went into remission, and then returned.
A resident of Milford, Otsego County, Mr. Seward was a Milford town justice and was later chief of staff for State Senator Charlie Cook. He was also chair of the Otsego County Republican Party.
Mr. Seward ran and won for 50th Senate District seat in 1986, though the 50th didn’t include Schoharie County. In redistricting several years later, he was senator for the 51st District, which included Schoharie, Otsego, Cortland counties and parts of six others, including Delaware.
He continued in the Senate, easily winning re-election every two years, until choosing not to run in 2020 because of his cancer diagnosis.
Assemblyman Chris Tague, then 18, worked on Senator Seward’s early campaigns.
“He was the person, that if you were going into public service, you’d want to emulate,” Assemblyman Tague said.
Mr. Seward’s key achievements came in infrastructure, volunteer fire departments, EMS, agriculture and children with disabilities, Assemblyman Tague said.
And as chairman of the Insurance Committee, Mr. Seward was well-respected across the aisle, as “Democrats had deep respect for him,” Assemblyman Tague said.
Even after leaving the Senate, Mr. Seward worked with his successor in the 51st, Pete Oberacker, and Assemblyman Tague. They valued the interaction.
“All of us who were represented by him in the Senate and all those across this state touched by his good deeds were blessed to have him in our lives,” Assemblyman Tague said in a statement.
Senator Oberacker had similar observations.
“Jim’s legacy, respected by both sides of the aisle, will be remembered with great admiration,” Senator Oberacker said in a statement.
“I will forever cherish the time I spent with Jim, his invaluable counsel, insightful perspectives and profound wisdom.”
And even though he had been long out of office, in January, Mr. Seward received an award from the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and health for his work in ag and for farm workers..
While he had many accomplishments, Mr. Seward should be remembered most, Assemblyman Tague said, for being a family man. He and his wife Cindy had two children, and later in life, Mr. Seward cherished time with his grandchildren.
“It’s a big loss. It’s sad,” Assemblyman Tague said. “I was lucky to know him.”