A poignant rifle salute carried out by members of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard capped off a 4-hour memorial service for longtime Pahrump Justice Court Bailiff Gerald “Bear” Smith, who died Monday, Jan. 18 at a Las Vegas Hospital after suffering from health problems related to COVID-19.
The well-attended service was held at the NyE Communities Coalition’s Activities Center on Saturday, Feb. 20th, where family, friends and colleagues gathered to remember, reminisce, and pay their respects to Smith, who would have celebrated his 61st birthday in July of this year.
“I didn’t make an official count, but I estimate we had about a thousand people come through to pay their respects to Bear,” said Capt. David Boruchowitz of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office. “It was quite busy for a long time. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard escorted his ashes in, and they will also escort him out with a 21-gun salute.”
Diverse gathering
Boruchowitz also said the memorial service attracted both families and individuals from all walks of life, even those who met Smith while appearing before a judge in Pahrump Justice Court.
“He was a great guy and we were commenting that everyone from different walks of life were here today,” he said. “You saw business folks coming through to pay their respect and you also saw criminals who had actually dealt with him in the courtroom, and felt that he had treated them fairly. It was a whole different range of people and it was nice to see that he was respected by everybody on both sides of the law. We also obviously had the judges, as well as Nye County commissioners who came by. I’ve known Bear since the day I got here, so it’s been about 14 or 15 years.”
Memories from the sheriff
Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly also provided her thoughts on Smith’s professionalism both in and out of the courtroom.
During his time as a bailiff, Smith also embarked on an energetic, but unsuccessful campaign run for the position of Nye County sheriff.
“I worked with him when I was working with the court system, through the Nye County District Attorney’s Office,” Wehrly recalled. “He was a very well-respected member of the community and a wonderful guy, who really enjoyed working with kids. I’ve known Bear for a very, very long time. I’ve known him since he worked at Saddle West, and actually my mother worked there at the same time he did. Of course he moved on to the courthouse. He was a very nice man, and he will be greatly missed.”
A friend speaks
Dawn Reali, a longtime family friend of Smith and his widow Maryanna, spoke about Saturday’s service.
“I am one of Maryanna’s dearest friends, and I’ve known them for over 20 years, so it’s been awhile,” she said. “The memorial service was absolutely beautiful and the community support has been just unbelievable. The procession was also very, very touching, and it was very nice to see the community come together, which is why I want to thank the local businesses, Nicco’s Pizza and the Naked Burro, for their support with the memorial service today. The 21-gun salute was very nice, right at sunset. It was beautiful. Bear would always go above and beyond his call of duty, and he was a great family man. We all had a lot of great times together.”
An appreciative family
Smith’s mother-in-law, Jackie Miles. said she was touched by the fact that so many community members came together in memory of Bear.
“He was an awesome guy, and he did so much for everybody in this community,” she said. “The service was wonderful and the pictures that were put together were absolutely beautiful.”
At the same time, family member Marc Miles expressed his appreciation for both Nye and Clark County law enforcement agencies.
“We really want to thank the Nye County Sheriff Department, Las Vegas Metro and everybody else for everything they did from one end of it to the other end,” he said. “They were fantastic. We can’t say enough about the courtesy and respect provided by the law enforcement community.”
Sunrise
Gerald “Bear” Smith was born July 12, 1960 in Torrance, California to Elzie and Charlotte, along with three brothers, John, Jay, and Jason, and three sisters, Robin, Jody, and Kammie, according to his obituary.
On July 25, 1993, he married Maryanna Therese Whitney, and they raised their only daughter, Savannah Smith.
“Bear had a passion for spending time with his family and friends,” the obituary read. “His hobbies were Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, working out, going shooting and riding his motorcycle.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes