Ex-Marine, state worker Daggett dies

Jace Radke

Friday, Jan. 26, 2001 | 11:16 a.m.

William Daggett, a former U.S. Marine in the South Pacific during World War II and employee with the state of Nevada, died in Las Vegas Wednesday. He was 78.

Daggett lived in Las Vegas for more than 20 years, and he worked for the state as a claims manager for State Industrial Insurance, said Casey Daggett, William's brother.

"I sure lost a good friend and partner," Casey Daggett said. "He was always a really good-hearted person that liked people, and liked to help them."

William Daggett was born in Chicago, and after serving in World War II became a police officer in Southern California. He spent 10 years as a peace officer before moving to Las Vegas where began working with the state agency that handled industrial insurance.

The agency was originally known as the Nevada Industrial Commission, later became State Industrial Insurance and was most recently known as the Employers Insurance Co. of Nevada.

Claude "Blackie" Evans, a former director of the Nevada Industrial Commission and retired head of the Nevada AFL-CIO, remembers Daggett as a friend to the state's workers.

"He was always thinking about the workers, and he always gave the benefit of the doubt to the injured worker," Evans said.

Services for Daggett will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Church of Las Vegas, 3388 S. Decatur Blvd.