Former New York assemblyman William “Bill” Magee, recently died. From left, Sherburne Village Mayor William Acee, Senator James L. Seward, Assemblyman Bill Magee, and Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers sample Ice Cream Ale, one of several new flavors of beer/hard cider ice cream now being manufactured by Gilligan’s Ice Cream in Sherburne in July 2018. (Submitted photo)

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — William “Bill” Magee, a former New York assemblyman who represented a rural district east of Syracuse for nearly three decades, has died.

Magee died on Christmas Eve, his niece told Syracuse.com. He was 81. 

He had tested positive for COVID-19 but was not showing serious symptoms, his niece, Robin Blazer Commins, told the news outlet. His cause of death was not clear.

A Democrat from Nelson, Magee was first elected to his state seat in 1990 and represented a district that included Madison, Otsego and Oneida counties. He previously served as a town supervisor in Nelson and worked at the New York State Fair. 

He served in the Legislature until he was unseated in 2018, chairing its Agriculture Committee and becoming a vocal advocate for the state’s farmers. 

“Bill truly understood the needs of New York’s farmers and all his constituents and worked diligently in Albany to help them,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said in a statement. “He will be missed by all who knew him.”

NY Senator James L. Seward said, “As legislators representing overlapping districts, Assemblyman Magee (Bill) and I worked together on a regular basis to address the shared needs of our constituents.  While we came from opposite sides of the political aisle, we were partners in doing what was best for our farmers, schools, first responders, and communities.  Bill was always among my first calls when I needed an assembly sponsor for legislation that would help our area – and he never hesitated to join me.  Assemblyman Magee’s contributions to our region and the entire state will live on for generations to come.  My sympathies to his family, friends, and the entire Mohawk Valley.”