Former SUN graphics design artist dies

Monday, Oct. 13, 1997 | 11:24 a.m.

Carroll Deke Houlgate III, a former Las Vegas SUN graphics design artist, died Saturday following a brief illness.

Houlgate, 41, worked for the SUN for about two years, resigning last month to become a full-time freelance graphic designer.

Born Nov. 27, 1955 in Henderson, Houlgate was the son of car racing publicist Carroll Houlgate II, and Olga Houlgate.

Deke and Olga Houlgate, now of Carlsbad, Calif., were working at the SUN at the time of their son's birth. Olga Houlgate was society editor and the elder Houlgate was a reporter.

The elder Houlgate, who has spent the past 25 years as a publicst for many race teams, once was editor of a North Las Vegas newspaper.

The Houlgates moved to California when their son was a toddler and the elder Houlgate went to work for the Los Angeles Times.

Deke Houlgate III grew up in Redondo Beach, Calif., and graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance and attended City College of San Francisco.

He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in linguistics.

Houlgate was a self-taught commercial artist. He played seven musical instruments and spoke five languages.

Hospitalized at Desert Springs Wednesday after a sudden illness, Houlgate died at 3:45 p.m. Saturday of liver failure.

He is survived by his parents; three brothers, John, of Santa Clara, Calif., David, of Redondo Beach, and Greg, of Carlsbad.

He also is survived by his grandmother and an uncle.

Houlgate will be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea by the Neptune Society during private family services.

The date has not yet been announced.

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