Carson’s ‘most enthusiastic cheerleader’ passes away at 88

One of Carson City’s prominent citizens, Stan Jones, passed away at the age of 88 on Thursday night, family and friends confirmed Friday.

Jones and wife Sue ran the Purple Avocado gift shop on Curry Street that opened in 2001. Stan Jones was instrumental in the city’s holiday ornament program featuring historical buildings, and he served on the Board of Supervisors for two years after being appointed by fellow board members in 2020.

Stan Jones was a veteran. According to his application for the supervisor position, he left the Army National Guard in 1985 as a brigadier general and later served as state director of the Selective Service for Nevada. He was inducted into the Nevada National Guard Hall of Fame in 2002 and recognized with an American Legion Award for service to veterans in 2012.

Besides the Board of Supervisors, Jones served on the boards of the Ron Wood Family Resource Center, the V&T Railroad Commission, the Nevada Veterans Service Commission, the Carson City Chamber of Commerce and several other organizations.

“Stan was the Carson City Chairman of the Board in 2012-13 and served as one of the most engaged chairmen that I have had the pleasure of working with in my 18 years,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ronni Hannaman said Friday. “He was very instrumental in inaugurating new programs and was one of Carson’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders. He will be greatly missed by the entire community.”

“Stan was a great man that truly loved this community,” said Carson City Supervisor Curtis Horton. “He communicated regularly with many of us regarding issues that were important to him and Carson City.”

Horton said Jones was the type of person “who noticed the little things in the community that needed to be taken care of.”

“He was always aware and astute to what was going on and what needed to be fixed and always had a great idea of how to accomplish it,” Horton said. “He truly did love this community.”