We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Wayne Smith’s passing. Wayne had such a presence in the community! It’s hard to imagine Salisbury without him. He made the town and this region a better place.

Serving as Salisbury’s Town Moderator, a member of the Board of Selectman, and on the Volunteer Fire Department are but a few of the many ways Wayne gave back to the community he had called home since the 1960s after coming here from Bridport.

Who can forget the extravagant Christmas light displays that Wayne and Diane put up every year for the community! More than 10,000 lights and holiday figures lined and lit up their entire street. The Christmas display was a tradition everyone looked forward to, drawing visitors from near and far.

We first met Wayne about 20 years ago when we were looking for help in opening and closing our camp on Lake Dunmore. In one of our first conversations, Wayne spoke with pride about being a seventh-generation Vermonter. Despite all the places he and Diane had traveled to over the years, Vermont was always where his heart was.

As the owner of Wayne D. Smith and Associates, Wayne opened and closed and dozens and dozens of camps around the lake every year — and took care of lawns, snow plowing, and almost anything else that a customer needed. He was a “can do” guy. “No” and “I can’t do that” weren’t in his vocabulary. Whatever challenges came his way (as they often did), he would find a solution. And he would do it cheerfully. Whether it was a burst pipe in the middle of the night, repairing a screen, a last minute driveway plowing request so that a visitor could come up on a winter weekend, or finding just the right kitchen faucet at a plumbing supply house, Wayne saw that it got done without fanfare. And he balanced all of those duties with his many other activities, including driving the Keewaydin campers to and from Quebec for their wilderness adventures, calling the scores at the home games at Middlebury Union High School, and the tractor pulls at the Addison County Fair and Field Days.

We were always impressed by Wayne’s work ethic, his integrity, character, sense of humor, and his modest, matter-of-fact way of going about his business. He was a great guy — a man who enjoyed life and for whom family, community, customers and friends were very important. Over the years we have been fortunate to call Wayne and Diane friends.

In thinking about Wayne and his life, we’re convinced that the world could use more people like Wayne Smith. And although Salisbury’s loss may indeed be Heaven’s gain, we’ll still miss Wayne greatly. And no doubt lots of people feel exactly the same way.

Jim and Susan Farrell

Kingston, Mass., and Lake Dunmore, Vt.