Kent Smith was my friend.

The following obituary was from the February 23rd issue of The Union, a newspaper serving western Nevada County, California. It was forwarded to me to Beth, one of the Nevada City Greens.

Kent Smith died Feb. 18 at his home in Nevada City. He was 66.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date; the date and location will be announced.

Mr. Smith was born June 16, 1941, in San Jose. He received his bachelor's degree in American history from Stanford University; his master's degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley; and his Ph.D. in diplomatic history from the University of California, Berkeley. He was a professor at several California Universities for 20 years, teaching history, international relations and MBA marketing and management in the Silicon Valley. He was also a management consultant for various businesses and nonprofits.

Mr. Smith held many leadership positions in various organizations involving the peace and civil rights movement in the 1960s and '70s. In the 1980s he moved to San Francisco and became the executive director of the Association of Dreams and the founder of the Dream Training Institute. In 1988 he moved to Nevada County, built his own "Walden" cabin in a spiritual community near Grass Valley and lived without running water, electricity or plumbing for 12 years. He was instrumental in the formation of the Green Party in California and ran for the U.S. and State Senate. In the 1990s, he became president of our local FCAT station. He continued his community service until the end of his life, organizing many groups, teaching free classes and mentoring others.

He enjoyed tennis, soccer, trips to the family cabin, international travel, reading, writing (he authored/co-authored two books), meditating, art, walking the streets of Nevada City, attending cultural events and spending time with his family.

Mr. Smith is survived by his life partner, Lynn Ely; daughters and sons-in-law Micaela Rubalcava and Jeff Cunan, of Quincy, and Gabrielle Smith-Dluha and Radovan Dluhy-Smith, of the Czech Republic; grandchildren Luis, Che and Miles Rubalcava-Cunan, Jacob Dluhy-Smith, Teo Dluhy-Smith and Olivia Dluha; brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Hannah Smith, of Walnut Creek; sisters and brothers-in-law Nancy and Mike Anderson, of Grass Valley, and Elaine and John Culverwell, of Fremont, and many nieces and nephews.

Kent Warner Smith passed with a quiet look of delight on his face on Monday, February 18, 2008 at his home in Nevada City. He was 66.

A celebration of Kent's life will be held Sunday, March 16 at 2 pm at the Nevada City Veterans Memorial Building, 415 N. Pine St. Nevada City. In Kent's spirit, his family invites everyone to dress casually and, if you like, wear a kooky hat. Bring your dancing shoes, favorite memories, and a celebratory spirit.

Kent will long be remembered in the Nevada County community for his deep political and spiritual engagement, as well as his humor, intelligence, his commitment to justice, and his fun eccentric character.

Kent's brilliance and vast knowledge of geo-political issues were remarkable. Coming from a line of scholars, Kent graduated from Stanford in 1964 with a BA in American History. He played for the Stanford Men's soccer team and studied abroad in Italy. Kent then went on to earn an MA in History at the University of California, Berkeley in 1966 followed by a PhD in Diplomatic History, UC Berkeley 1972, successfully completing a dissertation on U.S.-Mexican relations.

As a graduate student, Kent was a leading organizer of non-violent resistance to the Vietnam War and a dedicated activist in the Civil Rights Movement. He served as the Field Secretary of the War Registers League in 1972 and the Academic Coordinator for the Peace Studies Program at Stanford in 1974. He also co-authored the U.S. history textbook, As It Happened.

Kent was a devoted father of two daughters, Micaela and Gabrielle, and lived in Santa Cruz while raising his family with Mardi Van Winkle, his former wife and co-adventurer. During this time, his creative side started to emerge and he delved into sculpture, cake decorating, planning family trips and creating the family game, Torpedoes and Submarines which everyone loved.

He taught History and International Relations at several institutions of higher education and MBA Marketing and Management in the Silicon Valley. In the mid-80s, he moved to San Francisco and founded the Dream Training Institute. He was also executive director of the Association of Dreams. Dreams served as a meaningful guide for Kent in understanding his life and its direction.

In 1985, he moved to Nevada County and built his beloved "Walden" cabin in a spiritual community near Grass Valley. The quietude this provided supported a deeply spiritual life for 12 years. During this time, he was instrumental in the formation of the Green Party of California and ran for both the U. S. and State Senate. He was among the early pioneers in organizing the Green Party globally, in particular between Canada, Mexico and the U. S. He played an important role at the first Planetary Meeting of Greens held in Rio de Janeiro in May 1992 immediately preceding the Earth Summit.

Upon hearing of Kent's passing, Natalia Escuedero, former vice-president of the Green Ecological Party of Mexico wrote, "Mission accomplished, Kent! You served your country, society and mother Earth throughout your life, demonstrating that you are a man of justice and order. You have left us an example to follow."

During the 1990s, he became president of our local FCAT station producing and hosting several programs such as The Emerging Golden Age, The News Hour and the Monty Python-like comedy Mid Realities with friend Jerry Martin. Kent continued his community service until the end of his life organizing many groups, teaching free classes and mentoring others. One of his last political efforts was organizing Americans for Constitutional Integrity, a group dedicated to the preservation of our country's constitution and the Impeachment of President Bush.

Kent's interests were varied and included tennis, soccer, trips to the family cabin, international adventure (traveling to more than 35 countries) reading, writing, (he authored the book People Magic: How to Manifest the Relationships you Want), meditating, art (The Outlaw Artists), walking the streets of Nevada City, attending cultural events and cultivating and enjoying the depths of intimacy with his life partner, Lynn.

Kent was a beloved grandfather to his six grandchildren. Affectionately known as "Grandpa Moustache," he loved to wrestle and play soccer. He was famous for his money toss.

In his eight-month journey through illness and healing, Kent remained positive and loving, relying on an "attitude of gratitude." He focused on natural healing and a method he called Healing in Style which meant going out to restaurants, watching movies and having fun. He used his last time on Earth well by cultivating love and forgiveness among his loved ones. It was no surprise that he died with a look of delight on his face.

Kent is survived by his life partner, Lynn Ely; daughter and son-in-law, Micaela Rubalcava and Jeff Cunan of Quincy, CA; daughter and son-in-law, Gabrielle Smith-Dluha and Radovan Dluhy-Smith of the Czech Republic; six grandchildren: Luis, Che and Miles Rubalcava Cunan, Jakub Dluhy-Smith, Theo Dluhy-Smith and Olivia Dluha; brother and sister-in-law, Dan and Hannah Smith of Walnut Creek; sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Mike Anderson of Grass Valley; sister and brother-in-law, Elaine and John Culverwell of Fremont; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by parents, Louise Dally Smith and Ralph J. Smith.

The spirit of Kent W. Smith's life was to play, to explore, to try new things, to make an impact, to stand up for justice, to serve truth, and to search for God. May that spirit live on in all of us.