Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SOUTH OGDEN — A 5K is being held at Friendship Park in South Ogden in memory of Dee Smith, who was the Weber County attorney for approximately five years until he suddenly passed in 2021 after experiencing a medical episode.
His wife, Sherrie Smith, wanted to create an event in his memory to support law enforcement.
Because of his love for fitness, that event became the Live Your Dash 5K and fun run, taking place on June 1.
Sherrie Smith said the run and its cause serve as a good representation of the life her husband led as a public servant.
"Dee was passionate. I used to always joke that his mistress was law enforcement, and I was OK with that," she said. "And now it's our chance to give back for everything that he did."
Dee Smith was an assistant county attorney for many years before being elected as Weber County attorney. He later became a judge in Ogden Justice Court before deciding to step down and become a prosecutor again after about a year on the bench.
Investigator Steve Haney with the Weber County Attorney's Office worked closely with Dee Smith on many cases.
"Dee was one of my best friends, and when I say that, there's probably 20 other people who would probably say that too, because that's the kind of guy he was. That's how he made you feel," Haney said. "And he was always involved with fitness, always biking, running, hiking."
Haney said that Dee Smith was dedicated and called him "our go-to guy."
"Dee wasn't a cop, but he was one of us. He loved police officers. He loved the law and he loved justice," Haney said. "And he never, ever forgot that (what) was the most important thing in his life was his wife and kids."
Haney said he keeps Dee Smith's picture hanging up on his office wall.
Sherrie Smith said that the 5K and fun run represent what Dee Smith did in his life.
"He was an amazing man and family man, and (in) the community. And we wanted to carry that legacy on," she said.
Those close to Dee Smith wanted a way to honor his life as a prosecutor, his brief stint as a judge, and his love for fitness.
Sherrie Smith said her late husband "lived his Dash," in reference to a poem she read at his funeral in 2021.
In the past two years of the "Live Your Dash 5K and fun run," about $45,000 has gone toward scholarships for students in the police academy and CSI.
This year, there is a special focus on helping solve cold cases in Weber County. Investigators are now working on more than a couple dozen cases at the Weber County Attorney's Office.
Sherrie Smith is grateful her husband's memory continues on in his life's mission and in a dash that anyone can take part in.
"It is about living your best life and trying to give back to the community," Sherrie Smith said.
