Janice R. Ayres, a tireless advocate for the elderly and the disabled, an unshakable Democrat and former member of the Carson City Board of Supervisors died Monday morning at Carson Tahoe Hospital after battling cancer. She was 92.
Ayres was the executive director of the Nevada Rural Counties RSVP Program, a position she held since 1979. RSVP Board member Charlie Abowd confirmed her passing and said directors will meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss arrangements.
Over her career that spanned decades, she directed a number of non-profit charitable organizations and associations from the Nevada Association for Retarded Citizens and the Clark County Easter Seal Treatment Center, to the American Heart Association and Nevada Association for Mental Health among many others.
Her numerous public service appointments included the Governor's Commission on Aging, the Nevada Commission for National and Community Service, the Commission to Reconstruct the V&T Railroad and numerous other local Boards and Commissions. She was a charter member of the Senior Corps Association of America and a former Carson City Supervisor.
In 2001, RSVP was named the "Outstanding Non-Profit Organization" in Nevada by Gov. Kenny Guinn's "Points of Light" program. In 2002, Ayres was voted "Outstanding Older Nevada Worker for the State of Nevada" and honored in Washington, D.C. by the Senate and House of Representatives for her outstanding contributions to Nevada.
In 2010 Ayres was recognized with the Living the Legacy Award from the University of Nevada, Reno’s Sanford Center for Aging. The award recognizes long-time commitment to improving the lives of Nevada elders.
Under Ayres' direction, the Nevada Rural Counties RSVP expanded from five to 15 of the 17 counties of Nevada, becoming one of the largest RSVPs in the country.
She had Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Southern California.
"She was an amazing human being, someone I really admired because of her thirst for helping people," said RSVP Board Member Charlie Abowd. "She was a ferocious advocate for seniors and a woman with a lot of zip. It didn't matter if it was Harry Reid or the governor, she was on that phone all the time, fighting for others."
In a 2008 Reno Gazette-Journal article, Carson City veteran journalist Sue Morrow notes Ayres as "the backbone and driving force behind efforts to improve the lives of Nevada's senior citizens."
More details about Ayres and funeral service arrangements will be announced soon.