Review-Journal columnist, editor dies at 60

Rod Smith, the Review-Journal’s Gaming Wire editor whose varied 30-year career took him into the fields of economics, politics and business journalism, died Thursday after a two-year battle with cancer, according to a story on the Las Vegas’ paper’s web site.

Smith, 60, had been the newspaper’s award-winning lead reporter on the gaming industry since August 2002 and wrote a weekly column in the Business section’s Sunday edition.

Howard Stutz wrote, “It was reporting on business matters and seeing his work in print, however, that gave him the most fulfillment, said Fran Smith, his wife of 36 years.

“‘Rod really had two basic careers. One was politics and the other was business journalism,’ Fran Smith said. ‘He was most proud of having his work published. He always enjoyed that more than anything else.’

“Review-Journal Business Editor Michael Hiesiger said Smith’s familiarity and interest in a number of fields gave readers an uncommon insight and a diverse outlook into the gaming industry.

“‘Rod brought a unique level of experience and background to the paper that the Business section never had before, and it will be very hard to ever duplicate that,’ Hiesiger said. ‘His real value as the gaming editor for the R-J wasn’t that he knew about the gaming industry. He also knew about all the other industries and business leaders in town, and that meant he often got more details and different perspectives on casino issues than anyone else.'”

Read more here.