Ex-South Barrington treasurer dies at 70

For more than a decade, one of the people residents regularly met in dealing with the village of South Barrington, was Donna Smiddy.

Officially, she worked from 1991 to 2002, retiring as treasurer. But unofficially, she did everything from sell vehicle stickers and dog tags, to work with new building contractors and even go out to new housing developments.

Mrs. Smiddy passed away on Tuesday. She was 70.

"We're a small village hall, so we pretty much do everything here," says Linda Hooker, executive secretary.

Mrs. Smiddy began working for the village in 1991, seven years after the staff moved into the new village hall.

Before that, village board meetings were held at the homes of elected officials. The police and building departments were in an outbuilding known as the "chicken coop" on the Rose Packing complex.

Mrs. Smiddy was a bookkeeper at the former Graphic Calculator in Barrington before coming to work for South Barrington.

"Besides the village clerk, she was one of the first full time people to be hired by the village," recalls Police Chief Michael Deegan, was a patrolman at the time.

According to her colleagues, she brought her strong work ethic with her and it was contagious to everyone around her.

"Donna was always very professional and efficient," Tucker added. "We had gone through all sorts of changes here, but she was always the mainstay."

Her husband, Kermit Smiddy, is well known in the Barrington area as the former Cuba Township Highway Commissioner, but he also moonlighted at Macray Golf Club in Barrington, helping to run golf tournaments.

"She loved working for the village," Kermit Smiddy said. "She loved the people and all the variety with her job. She just loved all of it."

Mrs. Smiddy tried to retire in 2001, but with the high level of turnover in village hall, she was talked into coming back, at least part time.

Ultimately, the couple retired from their respective jobs in 2002 to spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Smiddy is survived by her daughters, Deborah (Paul) Cornwell of Allen, Texas, and Christine Johnson of Cary; as well as four grandchildren.

Visitation takes place from 4-8 p.m. Friday before a 12:30 p.m. funeral service on Saturday, both at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 149 W. Main St. in Barrington.