Sparks Mayor Dies In Office After Battle with Pancreatic Cancer

Ron Smith, the Mayor of Sparks, Nevada, died of pancreatic cancer Wednesday. He was 71 years old.

Smith was diagnosed in 2018, but his colleagues on the city council say while he was undergoing treatment, he still performed his public duties — even leading city council meetings until last month. 

Ed Lawson, who will step in as mayor, served in local government with Smith for the last decade as Mayor Pro Tempore and City Councilman for Ward 2. 

“He loved being the mayor, and it showed in his dedication,” he said. 

Lawson says he also valued Smith’s no-nonsense approach and his sense of humor.

“When I had an idea, I’d run it by him,” he said. “He’d either agree with it, or make some tweaks, or say, ‘That’s the dumbest idea I ever heard, Ed.’ So we had a good relationship there.”

City Councilman Kristopher Dahir echoed Lawson’s recollection. He reminisced about the way Smith would say his best quality was that he told people the truth as best he knew it.

“And then he said, ‘The worst quality about me is I’m gonna tell you the truth the best I know it,’” Dahir laughed. “We definitely had a leader amongst us.”

Dahir worked with Smith on the late mayor’s passion project, the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza at the Sparks Marina. 

Smith, who was enlisted in the United States Navy from 1967-1973, served three tours in Vietnam and was awarded the Combat Action Metal, wanted to honor the sacrifices made by generations of Nevadans.

“He would always cry whenever we’d talk about it,” Dahir said. “He just had such a passion.”

Smith wasn’t able to see the project completed, but Dahir says he’s working with construction firms to get it across the finish line.

“We got the first part done,” he said. “Now I’ll help finish what he started.”

Smith’s tenure as a local official included some controversy, too. During a city council meeting last month, he defended the Sparks Police Department when people expressed frustration over the killing of Miciah Lee, an 18-year-old Black resident with a history of mental illness. 

Lee’s family recently filed a lawsuit against the department and City of Sparks. They argue officers violated his rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act, because they did not take his medical history into account.

Now that Councilman Lawson has taken over as mayor, his seat on the council is vacant. According to the city charter, he must nominate a new person to fill the position within 30 days.

Although Lawson said he has some candidates in mind, he’s not ready to say who they might be.

“I’m not going to announce that. I haven’t even talked to anybody yet,” he said. “I think you’ve got to have a passion to do this. It’s not always the most fun.”

Once he makes his recommendation to the council, they’ll vote on whether to approve the choice.

Councilman Dahir says the council has to move quickly on the selection of the new member, even as they mourn Smith. 

“We want to pause long enough to honor what we’re dealing with for the family,” he said. “As a city though, the machine does not stop.”

Smith’s family has yet to set the date for a public memorial.