Login | May 17, 2024
Mahoning County attorney Wade W. Smith remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: May 2, 2024
A dedicated and knowledgeable attorney, Wade W. Smith was known for the empathetic way in which he dealt with his clients, said his former secretary Lori Coler.
“Wade was a very kind person who wanted to do whatever he could to help people,” said Coler. “He would put himself in his client’s position. He listened carefully to the person’s situation and represented that individual zealously.”
Smith also possessed a deep passion for teaching and was very devoted to his family and friends, said Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Jack Durkin.
“Wade absolutely loved life,” said Judge Durkin. “He was very proud of his family, especially his grandchildren.
“He really enjoyed teaching,” said Judge Durkin. “He taught at Youngstown State University and Kent State University. In fact, I think education was probably his true calling.”
On March 21, Smith passed away at Aventura at Assumption Village in North Lima at the age of 72.
“Wade was a very good father and husband,” said his wife Nancy Smith. “He was easy to get along with and quite generous.
“He liked to do for people,” said Nancy. “He was not driven by money at all. He enjoyed helping his clients come up with solutions to their problems. He worked as a mediator for a while.
“Wade was not one to criticize others,” said Nancy. “During his calling hours many people told me they never heard him say a bad word about anyone.”
Retired Mahoning County sole practitioner Jack Vaughn described Smith as “a great guy,” who was “smart, witty” and “as honest as the day is long.”
The two shared office space together for many years.
“Wade absolutely enjoyed practicing,” said Vaughn. “We had cases together and cases in which we were on opposite sides before we shared office space.
“Wade treated his clients with empathy and respect,” said Vaughn. “He had a good sense of humor and when we shared office space, he used it to uplift everyone in the office, including his clients.
“Wade taught in the criminal justice department at YSU and was instrumental in getting me a position there for several years,” said Vaughn. “We taught a number of undergrads who became lawyers and I think one or two also took the bench as judges.”
Vaughn said Smith was very close to his family.
“A few times, a group of attorneys and their families (including Vaughn) took trips to the Caribbean with Wade and his family,” said Vaughn. “We had some fun times.”
Born in Youngstown on May 3, 1951, he was the only child of Wade W. and Mary Virginia McCrone Smith.
A graduate of Boardman High School, Smith received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Youngstown State University in 1973.
After completing his undergraduate studies, he worked as a probation officer for the Mahoning County Juvenile Court from 1973 to 1978 when he was promoted to chief probation officer.
While at the court, he earned his master’s degree in corrections from Kent State University and his juris doctor from The University of Akron School of Law.
Smith met his wife Nancy DeCola through mutual friends who were members of his church.
“They tried to set me up with someone else but I met Wade instead,” said Nancy.
They were married on March 22, 1974 and had one son.
Smith started a general practice in Mahoning County in 1981. One of his primary areas of focus was probate.
In addition to practicing, he served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Mahoning County Children Services Board.
“Wade loved helping children and families resolve their situations,” said Coler.
“Wade helped set a number of young people on the right path during his time as assistant prosecutor,” said Vaughn.
Later he became a magistrate to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Maureen Cronin.
Smith also taught in the criminal justice department at Youngstown State University and was an instructor for Kent State University’s corrections training program for many years.
“Wade loved to teach and he really connected with the kids,” said Coler. “He had a lot of them intern in the office; some became attorneys and he made a point of helping them get on their feet, even providing space in his office suite free of charge for at least the first few months.”
Among those that he assisted was attorney Jim Wise, a senior partner at Hartford & Wise Co. in East Palestine.
“I actually met Wade in church,” said Wise. “Then when I was in law school I became an intern in his office.
“It was while interning that I learned going to law school has nothing to do with practicing law,” said Wise. “Wade exposed me to what practicing actually means—helping people deal with their problems.
“Later when I became a lawyer, Wade took me around to the courts and introduced me to the judges and bailiffs,” said Wise. “He made sure my name was added to the list from which court-appointed attorneys are chosen so I could get clients, and anytime I had a question he was there to answer it. We also shared office space for a little while.
“Wade had a heart of gold,” said Wise. “He was one of those guys who was always there to help in any way that he could. He was instrumental in teaching me how to practice and he later got me a teaching job at YSU. He loved teaching. I’m not sure what he loved more, practicing or teaching.”
Smith also shared office space with Mahoning County sole practitioner Bill Helbley.
“Wade was a fun-loving and generous person,” said Helbley. “He enjoyed practicing law because it allowed him to help people. Most of his charges were modest.
“He was a very good friend to me,” said Helbley. “ He would never forget my birthday or a special occasion.”
A member of the Ohio State and Mahoning County bar associations, Smith is a former chair of the Mahoning County Bar Association Membership Committee.
Smith was also the 47th Precinct Committeeman in Boardman for the Democratic Party.
He was an active member of the former Bethlehem Lutheran Church, serving as the president of the church council several times.
“Wade really felt for people,” said Nancy. “He was always willing to buy someone lunch or take on legal work for free.
“He was just a really good guy.”
A funeral service was held for Smith on March 25, followed by private interment at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Smith is survived by his wife Nancy, son Ryan, daughter-in-law Leta and grandsons Arlo and Charlie, all of Fort Myers, Florida.