Martha Ashcraft Esq. (Marti)
April 28, 1954 - March 24, 2026
Martha Ashcraft Esq. (Marti) Obituary
Las Vegas, NV - Martha "Marti" J. Ashcraft, born April 28, 1954, to Audice and Kathleen Dye Ashcraft, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026. She is survived by her husband, Don Cramer.
A Las Vegas resident since 1968, Marti was a graduate of Ed W. Clark High School. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree from Pomona College, one of the Claremont Colleges in California, and her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. She was admitted to the Nevada State Bar in 1979, among the first 100 women to hold that distinction in the state.
To know Marti was to know someone who lived with intention and loved without reservation. She was warm, generous, and genuinely kind, with a sharp wit and a sense of humor that could light up any room. She carried herself with quiet confidence and a natural presence that those around her never forgot. But it was her heart, her loyalty, and her deep care for the people in her life that defined her most.
She traveled the world extensively, with a curiosity and appetite for life that took her across continents and cultures. She was an art enthusiast, a lover of fine wine, and a skilled cook. She cheered on her Los Angeles Rams and followed Ferrari throughout the Formula 1 season. She was a voracious reader, a creative spirit who crafted beaded jewelry, knitted, and painted, and an avid golfer who found both joy and community on the course. It was at Angel Park Golf Club where she met her husband, Don, and over the following 30 years, they built a life rich with travel, shared experiences, and a partnership rooted in love and deep mutual respect.
For over 37 years, Marti practiced law at the highest level. She began her career at Vargas and Bartlett, where in 1985 she became the firm's first woman partner. When a group of attorneys from the Las Vegas office spun off to form Kummer Kaempfer Bonner and Renshaw, Marti joined as a senior partner. She then founded and served as supervising partner of Lewis and Roca's Las Vegas office, growing it into one of Nevada's most prestigious and respected firms. Her expertise in transactional law, complex litigation, and public utilities work shaped Nevada's business and legal landscape in ways that endure today. Her landmark cases changed state law and opened doors for firms and clients across the country. In 2009, she established the Law Office of Martha J. Ashcraft, continuing to serve clients with distinction until her retirement in 2016.
Marti's accomplishments were widely recognized throughout her career. She was named to Best Lawyers in America for multiple years by U.S. News and World Report, honored as a Nevada Super Lawyer, received the Women of Achievement Award from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and was recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Southern Nevada by In Business Las Vegas. The State Bar of Nevada honored her with its Distinguished Service Award.
Beyond her practice, Marti was a dedicated leader in the legal community. She was president of the Clark County Bar Association, the Clark County Law Foundation, and the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys, and served on numerous civic and community boards. She was a committed mentor to young lawyers and a fierce advocate for advancing women in the legal profession.
Her final years called upon every measure of the grace, strength, and courage she had shown throughout her life, and she met them the same way she met everything else.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Dressed for Success Southern Nevada, or the Nevada SPCA.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Martha, please visit our Tree Store.
Las Vegas, NV - Martha "Marti" J. Ashcraft, born April 28, 1954, to Audice and Kathleen Dye Ashcraft, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026. She is survived by her husband, Don Cramer.
A Las Vegas resident since 1968, Marti was a graduate of Ed W. Clark High School. She went on to earn her undergraduate degree from Pomona Col
Published on May 13, 2026
Events
There are no events scheduled.
You can still show your support by planting a memorial tree in memory of Martha Ashcraft Esq. (Marti).Plant a Tree
Guestbook
In Memory of Martha Ashcraft Esq. (Marti)
