Family, friends pay tribute to Nevada icon Harry Reid

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Published Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 | 2:27 p.m.

Former Sen. Harry Reid’s family and friends closed his memorial service this afternoon in downtown Las Vegas by joining Brandon Flowers of The Killers in singing “Home Means Nevada.”

It was a fitting tribute to someone who helped shaped the future of the Silver State, first as a member of the Nevada Assembly in the 1960s, later as part of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and lastly during a three-decade career in Congress. He helped shaped legislation in Washington to strengthen heath care, reform Wall Street and aid the nation's recovery from the Great Recession of the late-2000s.

“Let there be no doubt. Harry Reid will be considered one of the greatest Senate majority leaders in history,” President Joe Biden said.

The invitation-only event at the Smith Center featured a who’s who of notables, many of whom shared stories of Reid. They recalled his humble beginnings in Searchlight, his devotion to family and faith, and his ability to get things accomplished through compromise.

“My father was loyal and never forgot where he came from,” son Key Reid said.

Key Reid remembers when someone knocked on the family door asking to trim the bushes in the yard. “Even though we didn’t need it, he’d say yes and tell them to pick their price,” he said.

Son Leif Reid recalled how his father would always write members of the family notes of encouragement. And matter how busy he was fighting for legislation, he was never too busy for a phone call with family.

“I’ve kept those notes to go back to, to look at and to read,” Leif Reid said, referring to the notes as “scripture.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he only saw Reid cry once: When wife, Landra, was in a car accident.

“When you lose someone special, they’re never truly gone. For those of us in the Senate Democratic caucus, that is true this week,” Schumer said.

Check back later for more coverage.

Obama: Harry Reid was a 'true and loyal friend'

Harry Reid would have not liked sitting through his own memorial service and would have felt a little awkward, former President Barack Obama said.

“He didn’t like being the center of attention and felt uncomfortable when people said too many nice things about him,” Obama said in opening his eulogy of Reid today in downtown Las Vegas.

“As he looks down at us today," Obama continued, “Harry is going to have to suck it up.”

Obama said Washington is a town obsessed with appearances, but Reid had a vanity deficit. Reid was proud of the fact he didn’t own a tuxedo, and when he attended fundraising events, he would try to get out in 10 minutes, Obama said.

Obama talked about Reid’s childhood in Searchlight, when the teenager would hitchhike 40 miles to get to Henderson to attend Basic High School. Nevertheless, Reid prevailed.

“There must have been times he felt doubt about achieving his dreams,” Obama said.

Reid encouraged Obama in the mid-2000s to run for president. When it came time to pass Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, it was Reid who worked to muster the necessary votes in the Senate.

Obama said Reid had the ability to work together with other lawmakers to be productive. He never heard Reid speak of politics as if it was some unbending evil.

“You wanted Harry in the foxhole with you,” Obama said. “His willingness to fight by my side, to stick with me even when things weren’t going our way … it’s a debt to him I cannot fully repay.”

But what stood out the most was Reid’s love for his family, as “he was a true and loyal friend.”

Speaker Pelosi: Harry Reid 'treated everyone with dignity and respect'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walked across the stage at the Smith Center in downtown Las Vegas on the way to pay tribute to late Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

When she passed Reid’s coffin, which is draped with the American flag, she paused and bowed before continuing to the podium.

She told the crowd of mourners that Reid was a man of few words and “I probably got hung up on the most by Harry Reid — multiple times a day for 12 years.”

Pelosi said Reid became one of the most celebrated and consequential senate leaders during his three decade career in Washington.

“He never forgot his north star, to fight for working families like his own,” she said.

And equally important, “He did everything he could to ensure Nevada’s voice was heard,” she said.

Pelosi closed that Reid’s legacy is how he was beloved by all “because he treated everyone with dignity and respect.”

Harry Reid's son: 'My father was my best friend'

Late Sen. Harry Reid’s family is taking turns sharing memories of their father during his memorial in downtown Las Vegas.

Son Key Reid said “he taught me to treat everyone equally, regardless of race or status.”

Key Reid said his father never forgot about his humble beginnings in Searchlight, where his father loved to read books that helped him see the world from outside of the small town of a few hundred residents.

Reid would go on to spend 30 years in Congress helping shape the nation, never forgetting the less fortunate. And never forgetting his faith.

“When my mom would go to bed, he’d be in the closet, alone on his knees, praying in solitude or reading scripture for inspiration,” Key Reid said.

Key Reid recalled the last interaction with his father.

“He looked at me and gave me a long, warm goodbye,” he said. “My father was my best friend. He knew when to write, when to call, when to reach out.”

Leif Reid, one of his other sons, said the family was together the day before his father died helping him ease the pain. Music was the only thing that would help, he said.

“Bob Dylan? No response. Bruce? No. Then we said, ‘Brandon.’ He smiled and gave a huge thumb's up,” Leif Reid said of Nevada native Brandon Flowers of The Killers. “That was the last musical request he had.”

At the memorial, Flowers starts performing “Be Still” as a photo taken through a cracked door of Harry Reid sitting at his desk is displayed above.

The lyrics, “Don’t break character. You’ve got a lot of heart.”

“Labor until the work is done.”

Memorial honoring late Sen. Harry Reid underway in Las Vegas

The memorial for late Nevada Sen. Harry Reid has started at the Smith Center in downtown Las Vegas.

Granddaughter Ella Joy Reid recited an opening prayer and was followed by Elder M. Russell Ballard, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who called Reid a man of faith who cared for the less fortunate.

Reid’s daughter, Lana Reid Barringer, shared some of her favorite memories, including trips to get frozen custard during the summer.

“My dad spent a lot of time getting to know our friends and they would become his friends,” she said. “Our children have so many stories of what he has said to their friends. Some of them are shocking but always good in nature.”

Prior to the start, a video tribute played as mourners were taking their seats showing images of Reid’s legendary lengthy political career. The images showed him arm in arm with Hillary Clinton, talking with crowds of constituents, sitting at a table with Gov. Sisolak, falling asleep on a couch with a baby in his arms and at his daughter’s wedding.

President Joe Biden walked Reid’s widow, Landra, to her seat. A military procession carried Reid’s coffin to the front of the stage.

Attendees arrive to pay respects to Reid

Mourners are arriving in downtown Las Vegas this morning to pay their respects to late Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who will be memorialized during a service at the Smith Center.

The native Nevadan, who spent three decades representing the Silver State in Congress, died Dec. 28 peacefully at home in Henderson after a lengthy battle with cancer.

The list of attendees include President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, who arrived Friday at Harry Reid International Airport. They were greeted at the airport by Gov. Steve Sisolak and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

“(Reid) is a great Nevadan and an incredible friend time and my family,” Sisolak said today outside the Smith Center. “Is a sad day, but at the same time, it’s a joyous day and we get to honor his legacy. You can tell by the turnout that you’re going to see with the elected officials and dignitaries that are going to be here how popular he was and how much he meant to do many people.”

The list of attendees (we’ve spotted) also include: Nevada Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford, former Republican Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, UNLV President Keith Whitfield, former Nevada governor and UNR President Brian Sandoval, former Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley, and former Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken.

“It’s a sad day for our state, and it’s time to honor Senator Reid for his service, not just to Nevada but our country,” Lee said before entering the venue. “Senator Reid put Nevada on the map in terms of being a political powerhouse when it comes to national politics and he understood that diversity in our state really is the driving diversity across the country. Through his leadership he made sure that Nevada punched above our belt when it comes to national politics.”

Others who have arrived include: Former Nevada Sen. Richard Bryan, Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead, Brigadier General Michael Hanifan with Nevada National Guard, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and William McCurdy II of the Clark County Commission.

A handful of demonstrators with Donald Trump flags are stationed near the Smith Center as attendees arrive. There is also a group of counter-protesters here to support Reid — and cancel out the other group.

There is heavy police presence securing the venue and throughout downtown. Road closure information is below.

We’ll have more updates later. The memorial starts at 11 a.m.

Biden, Obama top list of who’s who honoring Reid at his funeral today

Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s memorial service today in Las Vegas will be fitting for one of the state’s icons and nation’s most notable leaders.

There will be a eulogy by former President Barack Obama. President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will speak.

Brandon Flowers of The Killers and singer-songwriter Carole King will offer musical tributes.

The private memorial starts at 11 a.m. at the Smith Center in downtown Las Vegas.

Reid, who rose from humble beginnings in Searchlight to a three-decade career representing Nevada in Congress, died Dec. 28 at his home in Henderson after a four-year battle with cancer.

“These are not only some of the most consequential leaders of our time — they are also some of Harry’s best friends,” Reid’s wife, Landra, said in a statement.

“Harry and our family have always had such love and admiration for each of them and their families,” she said. “Harry loved every minute of his decades working with these leaders and the incredible things they accomplished together.”

That’s especially true of Obama, whom Reid encouraged to run for president in 2008. And when it came time to pass Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, it was Reid who worked to muster the necessary votes in the Senate.

Despite constant Republican pushback, the law still exists and has paved the way for millions of Americans to receive health insurance.

Of all of Reid’s accomplishments, he had said, helping Obama pass the Affordable Care Act ranked highest.

“As different as we are, I think we both saw something of ourselves in each other — a couple of outsiders who had defied the odds and knew how to take a punch and cared about the little guy. And you know what, we made for a pretty good team,” Obama wrote in a letter to Reid in his final days.

Tributes have poured in since his death, from marquees with video tributes on the Strip to flags lowered in his home state to moments of silence at sporting events.

The former Senate majority leader will receive another tribute Wednesday, when his body will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

It will be a final opportunity for members of Congress and other government dignitaries to pay their respects. About 35 other people have been granted the tribute, including 12 U.S. presidents and, most recently, former Sen. Bob Dole last month.

“He was tough-as-nails strong, but caring and compassionate, and always went out of his way quietly to help people who needed help,” Schumer said of Reid in a statement announcing the honor.

Reid played a critical role in passing other landmark legislation, including the Dodd–Frank Act for Wall Street reform and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help the country bounce back from the Great Recession.

Schumer and others will detail those achievements, and surely share light-hearted stories, during the memorial. The ticketed event is closed to the public and will be heavily secured by Metro Police and agents with the U.S. Secret Service.

There will be no public memorial or mourning opportunity at the site, though people can watch the memorial via an online livestream.

The event will prompt road closures on Interstate 15 from Spring Mountain to the Spaghetti Bowl interchange downtown between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday.

From noon to 3 p.m., road closings will take place on I-15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to the 215 Beltway, as well as the 215 Beltway to the Airport Connector, and Russell Road near Harry Reid International Airport.

Many side roads near the Smith Center will be shuttered from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City of Las Vegas said. Those include: Symphony Park Avenue Eastbound at Grand Central Parkway; Robin Leach east of Promenade Place; City Parkway from Robin Leach to Symphony Park Avenue; and Frontage Road yo the Parc Haven Apartments.

Metro Police are advising motorists to take alternate routes.

Additionally, the City Parkway Garage at the Smith Center will be closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. for parking and vehicle access, officials said. City employees and monthly parkers should relocate to the 500 Main Street garage.

The Children’s Discovery Museum garage will also be closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. However, the Promenade garage and Symphony Park lot will remain open — access from either Grand Central Parkway or Robin Leach to Promenade Place. Parking is free at the Promenade garage for those attending the funeral.

Joe Rajchel, a spokesman for the airport, said travelers making their way to the airport Saturday should leave earlier than normal in anticipation of the road closures.

There could be flight delays surrounding the arrival and departure of Air Force One and the president’s motorcade, he said.

The Sun’s Jessica Hill, Casey Harrison and Ray Brewer contributed to this story