Sparks Mayor Ron Smith was laid to rest at Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley on Tuesday.
The Smith family held a private memorial service featuring with a 21-gun salute by members of the Nevada National Guard.
Smith passed away on August 17 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
You can read the full statement from his family below:
Today we laid to rest our father, Sparks Mayor Ron Smith, in a private memorial service, attended by family and close friends. Mayor Smith was afforded full military honors at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley. The service included a 21-gun salute by the members of the Nevada Honor Guard.
Mayor Smith served in the United States Navy from 1967 to 1971 during the Vietnam War and was awarded many medals.
He served on the City of Sparks city council beginning in 2006 and was sworn in as the City's 25th Mayor in 2018.
Mayor Smith was many things to many people; husband, friend, mentor, boss, councilman, mayor, pops, uncle, brother, son, and father. Please know whatever he was to you, today's service honored his life entirely. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, there were stringent limitations on the number of guests allowed to honor Mayor Smith. Our family profoundly regrets these unfortunate circumstances, as we would have loved to share our father with you in death as we have in life.
We want to thank everyone for the beautiful outpouring of love and support for our family. Dad stands with us all as we move forward together to achieve his dream and life project of completing the Nevada Veterans Memorial.
A true champion for veterans, we ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza Project, www.nvmp.info. P.O. Box 50967 Sparks, Nevada 89435.
The City of Sparks will release details of a public memorial when gatherings are no longer limited, allowing all who knew and loved him to celebrate our beloved father.
Thank you.
The Family of Sparks Mayor Ron Smith
