Award-winning owner of printing firm, Smith, dies

Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2002 | 8:38 a.m.

Randall D. "Randy" Smith, president of a local commercial printing shop and a past recipient of the Bill Bennett Employer of the Year Award, died Thursday in an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle. He was 39.

Services for the Las Vegas resident of 35 years, who in 1982 co-founded Time Printing Inc., were to be this morning at Palm Mortuary-Cheyenne, followed by burial in Palm Memorial Park-Northwest.

"My husband was thrown into the business by his dad, but he really got to like it, and he took great pride in completing a job," said Juliana "Juls" Smith, secretary-treasurer of the family business.

"When a convention came to town and needed something in a hurry, they came to us because they knew we would take those (last-minute) jobs. Randy always felt that if it was important to them, it was important to us to get the job done."

Time's many customers included Sen. Harry Reid, the Culinary Union, the Nevada AFL/CIO and other unions. Randy was a second-generation member of Typographical Local 933, of which his father, late longtime Sun composing room employee Stan Smith, was secretary-treasurer. Randy's daughter, Christine Smith, last October became a third-generation member of that union.

He was born June 27, 1962, in Gary, Ind. His family moved in 1967 to Las Vegas, where his father and mother, Mildred "Millie" Smith, got jobs at the Sun. Millie, who survives her son, was a typesetter.

Two years after Randy graduated from Rancho High his father talked him into going into business together, and they founded Time Printing. Randy bought his father out in 1991. Stan Smith died in 1998.

In 1999 Randy was awarded the Bennett Employer of the Year Award for operating a top local union business. The award honored his "dedication to the working men and women of Nevada."

On Feb. 23 Randy was to receive the Nevada Friends of Working Families Award from the AFL/CIO. Juls Smith, who says Time Printing will continue operations, will accept the award on behalf of Randy and their family.

In addition to his wife, daughter and mother, Smith is survived by a son, Thomas Smith; four brothers, Ron, Larry, Kevin and Brad Smith; and a sister, Patty Lowder, all of Las Vegas.