Submitted photo / Jim Davis From left, Jim Davis, Lisa Oles and Dave Ditzler break ground on the Hollywood Racino in May 2013. Oles, 59, was instrumental in moving the project forward, bringing her knowledge of real estate development to the table when trustees spoke with state officials about delays. Oles died Wednesday after a 12-year battle with cancer.

AUSTINTOWN — A renowned and beloved former leader of the community has died.

Former township trustee Lisa Oles, 59, died Wednesday night after a 12-year battle with cancer, said fellow former trustee Jim Davis.

Oles was elected to the township’s board of trustees in 2002 and served until she resigned on Feb. 1, 2015, to move to Colorado with her family as she was in the early stages of her cancer battle.

At the time of her announcement, Oles recommended Rev. Rick Stauffer to fill the remainder of her term, which he did. Stauffer also filled the remainder of Dave Ditzler’s term when he was elected as a Mahoning County Commissioner in 2012.

“I have appreciated the love and the support that the residents have shown me through the years,” Oles said at the time. “It has truly, truly been an amazing journey for me, but nothing lasts forever, and my journey as your Austintown trustee will end.”

Friends and colleagues say Oles’ laurels as a trustee include the creation and construction of the Austintown Senior Center, the development of the Hollywood Racino, and countless battles with the city of Youngstown over taxes and water.

“She left a legacy in Austintown that will certainly be unmatched,” Davis said. “She was a workhorse, and her dedication to seniors and the Austintown community is certainly second to none.”

Davis said she brought him onto the Senior Center project when he was first elected to replace Bo Pritchard.

Davis, former trustees and county commissioner Dave Ditzler, and township Fiscal Officer Laurie Wolfe said that when the center opened in 2010, it did not have a director for six months, so Oles ran the day-to-day operations until the Senior Center board hired one.

“It is certainly a place that has extended lives and saved lives for seniors who would not have had anywhere else to go,” Davis said. “It was because of Lisa’s desire and dedication that we have that in our community. It was someone like her that could be a visionary to conceive something like this and have the desire and drive to continue with it that made her the exceptional person she was.”

Oles also worked to ensure the completion of the Hollywood Racino.

“We fought the Racing Commission to make that happen,” Davis said.

He said the commission kept changing the stipulations and would never give Hollywood a definitive answer on things like occupancy requirements. Davis said he and Oles went to Columbus and hosted hearings locally, engaging with authorities like the Ohio Senate’s Economic Development Caucus.

“Her knowledge with real estate development gave us an advantage so we could provide them with information that helped get that project done,” Davis said.

Oles also went to war with Youngstown. “We had numerous battles over water with the city and she always advocated for Austintown and always wanted to be sure Austintown got its fair shake and was not being taken advantage of,” Davis said.

The Vindicator’s archives show that Oles also fought the city fiercely when it wanted to collect income tax from some Austintown and Boardman residents.

During a joint meeting with Boardman and several Columbus attorneys in May 2008, Oles spoke pointedly:

“Oles said Austintown trustees don’t plan to take any action at the meeting, but they will take action before Youngstown has a chance to ‘launch their attack on us,'” the story stated.

“As a result of this meeting, there will be action one way or another,” Oles said. “We are not going to sit back and wait for Youngstown to strike.”

Oles also was an original member of the Austintown Beautification Committee that did work like building a dog park and the 9/11 Memorial.

“Right after 9/11, we donated the property to the 9/11 Memorial and she was very much involved with that along with Pat Connelly,” Ditzler said. “Ditzler said Oles never ceased to amaze him with her thoughtfulness, and always remembered events like birthdays.

“When my mother passed, she came back into town, and was always there for people during good times and when there was a loss,” he said. “She had a party when I was elected commissioner. She always remembered to do something special for her community, her friends, her family. She was always one step ahead and was one of those who always brought a smile to your face.”

Davis remembers her similarly.

“Lisa had a very small circle of friends, and if you were fortunate enough to make it into that small circle, you should consider yourself lucky and that was a privilege I never took for granted,” he said. Current Board Chairman Bruce Shepas said he met Oles in 2010 through his business partner, Harold Porter, and since then has considered her a strong and valuable friend.

“She was nothing but kind and friendly,” he said. “When I ran for office, she gave me some good advice and some good criticism and she was very informative and stern with me and I appreciated it. I appreciate all the hard work she’s done in our township over the years. I thought she was a fantastic trustee.”

Ditzler said that when Oles was diagnosed with a carcinoma 12 years ago, she decided she did not want to endure chemotherapy.

“They gave her four to five years to live, and when she moved to Colorado, she chose holistic medicine and she lived for 12 years,” he said. “She felt she made the right choice and lived a pretty normal life until just about that past year or so.”

Davis said one of the rooms at the Senior Center was renamed the Lisa Oles Senior Education Center.