They made us laugh. And they made us cry. They stood up in the face of adversity and they made us proud. Some were pioneers and many reminded us of how precious life is. They left us in 2017 and might be gone, but will never be forgotten. Jan. 5: Lois Margolet, 68. Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop founder, who created the iconic Bobbie while building a nationwide brand. Jan. 10: Buddy Greco, 90. Greco’s live career sustained him well beyond his best-known hit, a finger-snapping 1960 rendition of “The Lady Is a Tramp,” which established his Las Vegas hipster credentials for years to come. Greco recorded more than 60 albums, but he was never a major headliner on the Strip. Jan. 30: Marta Becket, 92. The artist put on one-woman shows inside the Pacific Coast Borax Co.’s old community hall, which she transformed with her paint brush and her passion into the weird and world-famous Amargosa Opera House. Jan. 30: Tony Sacca, 65. He was best known for his locally produced talk and variety shows, which he had self-produced since 1986, and for which he even penned the theme, “Las Vegas The Greatest Town Around. " April 6: Don Rickles, 90. Though he appeared in films and on television, Rickles’ mainstay was always nightclub performances, appearing in Las Vegas and elsewhere into his late 80s. The insult comic known as “Mr. Warmth” also found late success as the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” films. April 10: Dipak Desai, 67. The Las Vegas doctor was convicted of murder and criminally neglecting patients in the city’s 2007 hepatitis C outbreak. April 18: Kayvan Khiabani, 51. The renowned reconstructive hand surgeon was struck and killed while cycling near Red Rock Resort. He served as the head of hand and microsurgery at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and chief of hand surgery at University Medical Center, where he died. April 25: Sasha "Pit Bull" Lakovic, 45. The pugnacious forward played 59 games over two seasons for the Las Vegas Thunder from 1995 to 1997 in the now-defunct International Hockey League. May 14: Tashii Brown, 40. A Las Vegas police officer stunned Tashii Brown seven times with a Taser and held him in an unauthorized neck hold for more than a minute, killing him. Metropolitan Police Department officer Kenneth Lopera was formally charged in June in Brown’s death. July 16: Maria Alvarez, 33. The Fremont Middle School teacher who died from tuberculosis was a quiet woman who was dedicated to her education and her lifelong goal of helping others. July 26: Barbara Sinatra, 90. The fourth wife of legendary singer Frank Sinatra, was a prominent children’s advocate and philanthropist who raised millions of dollars to help abused youngsters. Aug. 20: Entertainer Jerry Lewis, 91. Lewis was famous for his zany comedy and for raising millions to fight muscular dystrophy. Lewis, who performed in Las Vegas with Rat Packers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. and many others, also famously became national chairman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He hosted the association's annual Labor Day telethons from 1966 to 2010. The children suffering from the disease, whom Lewis aimed to help with the telethon, became known as “Jerry’s Kids.” Sept. 4: Irwin Kishner, 84. The longtime developer created properties, including the Somerset House, Nevada Square, The Monaco and Maryland Square, with his uncle, Herman Kishner. He was a founding director of the Nevada Hotel & Motel Association. Sept. 11: Dan Currie, 82. The former member of the Green Bay Packers during the Vince Lombardi years, Currie was an All-Pro linebacker and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was a longtime casino security employee. Sept. 14: Jack Lehman, 89. Lehman, who created one of the nation’s first adult drug court programs in 1992, which still exists, offering drug offenders a year of inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment in lieu of prison time. Oct. 1: The 58 victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Those killed ranged in age from 20 to 67 and included grandparents, parents, and college students. Oct. 3: Don Carano, 85. A pioneer in the gaming, law and wine industries, Carano was the founder of Eldorado Resorts Inc. and an entrepreneur, hotelier, restaurateur. Oct. 6: Ralphie May, 45. He had been a headliner at Harrah’s Las Vegas since January. May launched to national fame as a runner-up on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” contest series in 2003. He battled weight issues, approaching 400 pounds at his heaviest. Oct. 7: The Rev. Donald Clark, 84. A quiet boy who enjoyed reading, Clark would grow up to be pivotal in the civil rights movement in Las Vegas. During his life he helped lead Clark County, the NAACP and local religious congregations. Oct. 12: Katayoun Barin, 48. Six months after her husband, Dr. Kayvan Khiabani, was killed in a bicycle crash, the Las Vegas dentist lost her battle with colon cancer. Oct. 24: William Gilcease, 98. A lifelong animal lover who founded the Gilcrea
Category
🗞
News