BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

CANTON – Republican Steven M. Cary is seeking re-election as one of four elected coroners in St. Lawrence County, citing nearly 25 years in funeral service and his experience in fire and emergency medical services.

Cary was born and raised in St. Lawrence County and has lived in Canton for nearly 20 years. He owns O’Leary Funeral Service and is chief of the Canton Fire Department. He also previously worked as an emergency medical technician serving Canton and surrounding communities.

Cary said his background has given him experience handling difficult situations and working with families during times of loss.

His work in funeral service, fire and EMS has exposed him to tragedy, he said, helping him understand how to respond to difficult scenes while treating families with care.

Cary said his experience in the coroner’s office, his central location in the county and his attention to paperwork are among the reasons he is seeking another term.

He said completing reports and paperwork in a timely manner helps families obtain death certificates and other records they need to settle the affairs of a loved one.

The coroner’s job involves more than investigating suspicious deaths, Cary said. Coroners are also called when a death occurs outside a setting where the person was receiving direct medical care, including a hospital, nursing facility or hospice.

Coroners work with families, medical professionals and law enforcement to investigate the circumstances surrounding a death.

Cary said the position requires a willingness to respond at any hour, often when families are facing one of the most difficult moments of their lives.

“We respond at all hours when the phone rings, not just when it is convenient for us, to serve the people who elect us,” Cary said.

Cary is running against Democratic incumbent James Sienkiewycz and challengers Therese Miner and James Amo.