Editorial: Janet Smith, 1928-2005

Thursday, April 14, 2005 | 8:54 a.m.

Janet Smith, a justice of the peace for Goodsprings Township for 12 years and a key adviser to former Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, has died. Any community can consider itself fortunate if it is enriched by selfless residents, those who work diligently to make their towns, cities and state a better place to live -- and Janet Smith perfectly fit that description.

Active in Democratic politics, she was an integral part of the O'Callaghan administration, running his Southern Nevada office when he was governor during the 1970s. O'Callaghan, former executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun and the most popular governor Nevada has ever had, championed public education and fought to protect equal rights and the environment. Janet Smith was right there with him, helping turn much of his progressive agenda into a reality. Additionally, she was a great mother, a quality that too often gets overlooked in today's world. She raised six children, including one of our colleagues, John L. Smith, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a former sports editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

Nevada has lost something precious now that Janet Smith has passed away. We can, however, be grateful that we are the beneficiaries of all the great work she did for this state. She set a tremendous example for all Nevadans to follow.