Alicia Laura Smalley

A memorial service for Alicia Laura Smalley, 54, a 32-year Carson Valley resident, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church, 306 W. Musser St., in Carson City. A reception will follow the service.

Ms. Smalley died Dec. 16, 2006, of complications from lymphoma. She was born Feb. 19, 1952, in Las Vegas to Jim and Rae Smalley.

She graduated from Basic High School in Henderson in 1970. She earned her bachelor's degree in social work from Arizona State University in 1974. She earned her master's in social work from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1995. She had completed all course work necessary for her Ph.D. in social work at the University of Utah when her lymphoma symptoms interrupted her work on her dissertation.

She worked for the state of Nevada for more than 20 years in Employment Security, Welfare, SIIS, Vocational Rehabilitation, the Division of Aging Services and the Sierra Regional Center. After she earned her masters, she worked at UNR as the educational equity coordinator in the College of Education, eventually earning her position as field work coordinator in the Social Work Department. She also taught social work courses at Truckee Meadows Community College.

She was also a foster parent for a number of children, and had served on the Douglas County School Board for 10 years after being elected. She was active with the Women for Political Action and served on the National Women's Political Caucus. She was on the National Board for the National Association of Social Workers and served on its National School of Social Work Credential Committee, and as chairwoman of the legislative committee of the NASW of Nevada. She served as the Nevada NASW president and earned its Nevada Social Worker of the Year award in 1993, as well as the Social Work Congressional Fellows award. In 1995, the National Association of School Boards awarded her its "A Worker for Children" award.

She also served on several community boards, including the Judicial Selection Committee in Douglas County, the board for the Partnership for Community Resources, Douglas County Mental Health Advisory Board, the state Community Mental Health Advisory Board and the Douglas County Parks and Recreation Board.

She was appointed by the governor to the Human Resources Block Grant Commission and served as co-chair of the All Students Action Team Nevada, Schools-to-Careers Committee. She was a member of the Department of Education Dropout Coalition and the board secretary of the Nevada Women's History Project.

She began chemotherapy treatment in July 2005.

Among her survivors are her mother; longtime companion, Stephen Nicholas; daughter, Brook Adie; sons Darin and Drew Arigoni; brother, Ed Smalley; sister, Esther Cothrun; two grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Scholarship Fund of the Partnership of Community Resources, P.O. Box 651, Minden, NV, 89423, to help further local youth education.

Capitol City Cremation is in charge of arrangements.