A prominent Lake Placid political and community leader has died. As WAMC’s Pat Bradley reports, the village is remembering the trailblazer fondly.
Shirley Seney was the first woman elected mayor of the Olympic village in 1993. She was the first woman to become the supervisor of the Town of North Elba in 1996, and served in that post for 12 years. She was also the only woman on the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics organizing committee.
Seney was active with numerous community groups. She served on the Lake Placid School Board and as a village trustee. In 2014 she was named a New York State Woman of Distinction by the state Senate.
Former New York State Assemblywoman Theresa Sayward served with Seney on the Essex County Board of Supervisors where they became good friends. “Shirley just had a wit about her that kept everybody upbeat. But I think more importantly Shirley, Shirley was the first of many things. The first woman to be involved in getting the Olympics here in Lake Placid. You know the first woman to serve as mayor of the village of Lake Placid and Shirley was one of the first women to sit on the Essex County Board of Supervisors. She had a long history of public service and she always had a funny story to tell.”
Current North Elba Supervisor Robi Politi says he grew up alongside Seney. He calls her a trailblazer for all women in the region. “I will miss her, her fire. (chuckles) We didn’t always agree on things and she always told me exactly how she felt. She was resolved to maintain that determination. I’ll never forget that. That’s the way she was. We didn’t agree on things yet we got along fine. She was a fierce competitor and fighter for what she believed in. She was always steadfast in her loyalty to the Lake Placid community.”
Assemblywoman Janet Duprey of the 115th District says Seney’s death is a loss for the entire North Country. “She has left her handprint, her fingerprints on many, many aspects of the North Country. Maybe most visibly in the town of North Elba, but throughout the entire North Country. I always admired her ability to talk with anybody and be direct but be respectful. She will be long, long remembered. In some ways she was as tall as Whiteface.”
Lake Placid Mayor Craig Randall says Seney will be remembered for her depth of dedication for Lake Placid and the town of North Elba. “Shirley was a woman that cared. She cared about her community in many, many ways. She cared about the people in her community.”
Again, former Assemblywoman Sayward: “I am sad with her passing. But I will never think of Shirley without a smile.”
Seney, who died Wednesday, is survived by her husband of 60 years, a son and two daughters and several grandchildren. She was born on the opening day of the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
