A funeral service for Janice R. Ayres, a longtime Carson City resident and champion for the elderly and disabled in Nevada, will be held in Carson City on Friday, June 7, 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Musser and Division streets.
Ayres was 92 when she died May 27, 2013.
As executive director of the Nevada Rural Counties RSVP Program since 1979, Ayres was well known as Nevada's tireless advocate for the elderly and the disabled. Under her direction, RSVP expanded from 5 to 15 of the 17 Nevada counties making it one of the largest programs of its kind in the country. She was also a former member of the Carson City Board of Supervisors.
Susan Haas, was chosen by the RSVP board to serve as interim executive director.
"We encourage all to attend this celebration of her life," said Haas. "It is our privilege and an honor to continue this fine work and together we will continue to sustain and grow the programs and services that Janice was so passionate about."
Below is write-up provided by RSVP called "Remembering Janice."
Janice R. Ayres was the Executive Director of the Nevada Rural Counties RSVP Program since 1979, overseeing its expansion from 5 to 15 of the 17 counties of Nevada. Today it is one of the largest RSVP Programs in the country. In 2001, RSVP was named the ‘Outstanding Non-Profit Organization’ in Nevada by Governor Kenny Guinn’s “Points of Light” program.
Subsequently, Janice 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. She has dual Masters Degrees in Business Administration and in Mass Communications from the University of Southern California.
Over her 50-year social services career she directed a wide variety 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 the founder and President of the Nevada Senior Corps Association and past President of the National Association of RSVP Directors. She was a former Carson City Supervisor and was listed in 5 Marquis Who’s Who in America since 1975.
In 2008 she received the outstanding congressional commendation award from U.S. Senator Harry Reid for her 30 years of service to Nevada seniors, and in 2010 she received the prestigious ‘Living the legacy’ award from the Sanford Center for Aging – University of Nevada Reno. The award has only been presented 5 times in the 17 years of its existence. In 2011 she received a proclamation from the 76th Session of the Nevada State Legislature for her many years of service to the seniors of Nevada to improve their quality of life.
Janice was an advocate and a champion for seniors and all needy citizens in the State of Nevada. Her exemplary work, providing programs of assistance in rural Nevada for more than 35 years, has made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of individuals.
We encourage all Nevadans to join with her family and friends in honoring this outstanding and grand lady whose legacy is truly an inspiration and a model for all.