Senate Resolution No. 432

BY: Senator BRESLIN

MOURNING the death of Mary Jane Smith, founder of
Unity House, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of her community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Mary Jane Smith of Saratoga Springs, New York died on
Monday, January 16, 2017 at the age of 88; and

WHEREAS, Mary Jane Smith devoted her life to serving others; over
the last half century with Unity House, she has had a profound impact on
thousands of people living in and around Troy, New York; and

WHEREAS, Unity House, one of the area's largest community service
organizations, is a large human services agency which provides a wide
range of services to meet the otherwise unmet needs of people in the
community who are hurting and struggling; and

WHEREAS, Mary Jane Smith's commitment to excellence, and her spirit
of humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including
charitable and civic endeavors; and

WHEREAS, As Executive Director of Unity House for 20 years, Mary
Jane Smith developed programs for people in poverty, adults living with
mental illness, victims of domestic violence and children with
developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, This strong-willed woman, committed to advocating for
social justice, worked with people to cut through the red tape of the
social welfare system and prodded landlords to maintain housing for
lower-income people; she also sought jobs for people with limited
skills; and

WHEREAS, Even after her retirement in 1991, Mary Jane Smith served
on many boards which benefitted not only the disadvantaged in the
Capital Region but also the community at large and the mental health
population of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Consummate advocate for the less fortunate, Mary Jane spent
her life making others' lives better; countless families and individuals
benefitted from her compassion and vision; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Mary Jane Smith leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
she served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Mary Jane Smith, founder of Unity House,

distinguished citizen and devoted member of her community; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Mary Jane Smith.