Alicia Laura Smalley, 54, died December 16, 2006, in Carson City. She was a 32-year resident of Carson Valley. Alicia was born on February 19, 1952, in Las Vegas, Nevada to her parents Jim and Rae Smalley. She is survived by her mother Rae, her older brother Ed, and younger sister Esther Cothrun. She is also survived by her three children, Brook Adie, Darin Arigoni, and Drew Arigoni, two grandchildren Sierra and Sage Adie (5 months old), many nieces, nephews, cousins, and her life partner, Stephen Nicholas.
Alicia was the consummate Nevadan. She grew up in Henderson where she graduated from Basic High School in 1970. Alicia earned her BS in Social Work from Arizona State University in 1974. Upon graduation she moved to Carson City and began working for the State of Nevada. She worked for the State of Nevada for over twenty years working in the Employment Security Division, the Welfare Division, SIIS, Vocational Rehabilitation, the Division of Aging Services, and the Sierra Regional Center. She was a long time advocate for the causes of social justice and equality among people. She supported the goal of diversity in communities and lives. She lobbied for these and other causes on the local and national level. She worked to bring resources to people in need and transition.
She started her family with Richard Arigoni in Northern Nevada in the late ‘70s. She loved being a mother and relished in creating opportunities for her three children. She was a foster parent for a number of kids. She was elected to the Douglas County School Board and served 10 years in this position. In this role she reconciled the philosophies of home schoolers and of the public education system among other challenges.
In 1995 Alicia earned her MS in Social Work at University of Nevada Reno and relocated to Washington, DC, to work as an intern in the offices of Senator Carole Mosley Braun of Illinois. Upon completion of her internship she began working at the University of Nevada, Reno as the Educational Equity Coordinator in the College of Education. She eventually earned her position as Field Work Coordinator in the Social Work School. In addition to her commitments at UNR, she taught social work courses at TMCC. She also traveled statewide, teaching ethics to social workers and donating her earnings to the Nevada chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Alicia 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 traveled to Washington, DC six times a year to meet with the board. She served on their National School of Social Work Credential Committee, was chair of the National Political Action Committee, and chair of the legislative committee of the NASW of Nevada. She served as President of NASW of Nevada and earned their Nevada Social Worker of the Year Award in 1993. She was also the recipient of the Social Work Congressional Fellows award. In 1995 the National Association of School Boards awarded her their “A Worker for Children” award.
In addition to memberships in NOW, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, and the Women’s Resource Center in Carson City, Alicia 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. She served as Co-chair of the All Students Action Team Nevada, School-to-Careers Committee, and as a member to the Dept. of Education Dropout Coalition. Alicia was Board Decretary of the Nevada Women’s History Project.
Alicia had completed all course work necessary for her PhD in Social Work at the University of Utah when lymphoma symptoms interrupted her work on her dissertation. She began chemotherapy treatment July 2005 and she continued through all the protocols over the next 14 months, all to no avail.
In lieu of flowers please make contributions to the Scholarship Fund of the Partnership of Community Resources in Douglas County to help local youth further their education. The Partnership’s address is PO Box 651, Minden, NV 89423.
We welcome your thoughts, feelings and photos, so this page may grow. Please send any submissions to Sherri Barker at: sherrib@unr.edu with permission to post them.
Memorial page contributions should be directed to sherrib@unr.edu |
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"I recently heard the news of Alicia’s death. I am not alone when I say that Alicia was a teacher, a mentor, an inspiration, and the first person I called when I was fresh out of graduate school and looking for a job. |
"Alicia’s fingerprints are everywhere and she knew everyone. But for every social worker she molded, mentored, and eventually connected, she indirectly changed the lives for many more. For many of us,without Alicia Smalley we would not be where we are today. And without us, I like to think, many of our clients would not be where they are today. |
"Alicia, you will be missed." -- Joe Saiz,MSW, St. Louis, Missouri |
"I was thinking of Alicia lately - I often do when faced with a challenge. I think 'what would be Alicia's point of view, her thoughts.' I didn't see Alicia often after we were no longer working together in the early nineties for Aging Services. Fortunately, I was in Nevada briefly in 2005 and spent some time with her. To paraphrase a line I heard once that sums it up: I haven't seen Alicia in at least five years, but I will miss her always." -- Bonnie Andrews, Friend |
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"Our dear friend and colleague, Alicia Smalley, died Saturday evening at 9:10 at Carson-Tahoe hospital (12/16/06). We send our heartfelt condolences to her children, Brooke (who is a graduate of our BSW program), Darren, and Drew; to her beloved partner Stephen, who is completing the last year of the MSW program; and to her wonderful family including her mom, Rae, and her new grandchildren, twins Sierra and Sage. |
"Alicia will never be forgotten. Her spirit extends throughout Nevada, her homeland, and out to the corners of the world. She loved social work and devoted her life to extending the profession. We will always remember her at the legislature, talking to policy makers on the flights to and from Las Vegas, reminding us all to not just vote but to become involved! Call our legislators, come out to meetings, walk a picket line! It seemed everyone in Nevada knew Alicia. She worked tirelessly to build the School’s field program. How many students who have graduated from the BSW and MSW programs first were won to social work by a conversation with Alicia or one of her introductory social work courses? 'You should think about becoming a social worker,' we can hear her saying that now. Her commitment to social justice was ever present, especially when it came to issues of poor women and children. She served on many regional and national social work committees, and wherever she went she made friends, especially with activists. We remember, too, her love of the Nevada landscape, the hot springs, and especially her devotion to her family and friends. There is a big, sad hole in our lives this morning. Thank you, Alicia, for everything." ------From the Faculty and Staff of the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Social Work |
