Letter from Jeff Katz

Katz: ‘Seward Was a Giant’

Karen and I were saddened to receive word early Saturday morning that Jim Seward had passed.

I was lucky to work with Jim for six years as mayor of Cooperstown (and seven years before that as a village trustee). The man was the ultimate public servant, consistently delivering to his community, and always with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. He deftly guided me through the Albany labyrinth and the millions of dollars in grant money that we received to rebuild Main Street, the wastewater treatment plant, and Doubleday Field, would not have been possible without his savvy and leadership.

I was fortunate to work with Jim again in his role as a founding board member of the Community Foundation of Otsego County. He was an integral part of the CFOC family and always represented us well and with great enthusiasm.

Three weeks ago, Jim called me to let me know how he was doing. Even in the face of declining health, he was cheerful, funny and engaging. We talked about how much he loved connecting with people and how much he enjoyed that (I told him that lots of people like to connect to others, but few were as good at it as he was!). Jim was impossible to dislike, smart, knowledgeable and always available.

Jim Seward was a giant. I was honored to know him.

Jeff Katz
Executive Director, Community Foundation of Otsego County