R.I.P. Leo Smith

Leo Smith — the man whose family was helped by a small army of Tracy volunteers after this story ran in the Press — died this morning, Councilman Steve Abercrombie reports.

Smith and his wife, Angela, got to enjoy the hard work of the Tracy community less than three weeks. But Leo's final days, I have no doubt, were made better by the folks who gave up their time and talents to help a fellow Tracyite in need.

His death so soon after the work was completed in no way diminishes what those people did for him, out of the desire to do the right thing. And it in no way diminishes the joy he and his wife got from knowing that other people cared about them, that they weren't merely on their own, that they were part of the community.

That's the kind of gift that cannot possibly be overvalued.

It's a sad story, yes. But it's a reminder that a little time, a litle effort, can mean the world to someone else. And that spirit is a huge part of what makes Tracy special. At least in my eyes.