Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 | 11:36 a.m.
During the last year, a U.S. president, a beloved former governor and two stand-up comedians who left indelible marks on Las Vegas and Nevada died.
Ronald Reagan, an actor-turned politician, debuted as a song-and-dance man in 1954 at the Last Frontier and, as governor of California in the 1970s, regulated development around Lake Tahoe.
During and after his presidency from the early 1980s to late 1990s, Reagan made eight trips to Nevada to campaign for Republicans or make speeches at major Las Vegas conventions.
He died June 5 in California at age 93.
Mike O'Callaghan, a war hero who became one of the most influential Nevadans of the 20th century during two terms as governor (1971-78) and 25 years as chairman and columnist of the Las Vegas Sun, died March 5 after collapsing from a heart attack while attending morning church services. He was 74.
Five months later, O'Call aghan's widow, Carolyn O'Callaghan, who was co-publisher of the Henderson Home News with her late husband, died on Aug. 7 following heart surgery at a Las Vegas hospital. She was 68.
Alan King, a comedian who first appeared on a Las Vegas stage in 1949 and became a popular local headliner for more than half a century, died May 9 in New York at age 76.
He also was longtime host of the Alan King Tennis Classic at Caesars Palace, which in its heyday featured the game's greatest male professional stars.
Rodney Dangerfield a bug-eyed comedian whose one-liners about getting no respect brought him fame as a longtime Las Vegas headliner and made him a popular performer on TV, in nightclubs and in films died Oct. 5 in Los Angeles at age 82.
King and Dangerfield at one time maintained residences in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Sun also lost Ruthe Deskin.
Deskin, the Sun's assistant to the publisher and columnist who for 50 years championed the rights of abused and neglected children and worked to get addicts off of drugs and seniors into quality hospice care, died Feb. 14 at her Las Vegas home. She was 87.
Here are other notable Las Vegans who died during the past year. They died in Las Vegas unless otherwise noted:
-- Bernie Allen, 87, venerable standup comic who teamed with straight man and fellow Las Vegan Steve Rossi in the mid-1970s and later became know locally for his charity concerts for the homeless. Real name: Bernie Kleinberg. Jan. 16.
-- Fred Benninger, 86, a soft-spoken businessman who was a guiding force behind the growth of Kirk Kerkorian's MGM-Mirage gaming resorts and the former head of Kerkorian's MGM/United Artists movie studio. Feb. 29.
-- Eileen Brookman, 82, an eight-term Nevada assemblywoman who served as a strong voice for the poor, seniors and minorities. July 1.
-- Dan Chandler, 70, longtime host for several casinos including Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton and the son of former Kentucky governor and Major League Baseball Commissioner A.B. "Happy" Chandler. April 27 in Kentucky.
-- Harry Claiborne, 86, a colorful layer who overcame being impeached and ousted in 1986 from his post as federal judge in Las Vegas following a tax conviction to return to prominence as a local defense attorney. Jan. 19.
-- Tom Coward, 80, longtime local auto dealership owner and former member of the Colorado River Commission. May 16.
-- William "Bill" Creer, 92, a retired Air Force general who commanded raids over Europe during World War II, set an air-speed record over the Atlantic in the 1950s and later was a successful Las Vegas real estate executive. July 22.
-- George "Joey" Curtis, 79, a professional boxing referee from 1971 to 1993 who worked major national and world title bouts and also was longtime owner of Curtis Construction Co. in Las Vegas. May 13.
-- Peggy DeCastro, 82, the oldest member and lead singer of the DeCastro Sisters, which had the 1955 hit "Teach Me Tonight" and became a popular Las Vegas attraction. March 6.
-- Chuck Di Rocco, 69, founder and publisher of Gaming Today sports betting publication and a high stakes blackjack player who pioneered horse racing simulcasts to Las Vegas casinos. March 6.
-- Michael "Chub" Drakulich, 80, a native Nevadan who was UNLV's first basketball, baseball and golf coach and first athletic director who laid the foundation for the school's major college sports program. Dec. 4.
-- Rulon Earl, 94, a prominent local attorney for more than five decades who helped guide the Las Vegas Housing Authority and the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through some of their most dynamic growth. June 30.
-- Shirley Nellis Gentsel, 82, widow of World War II P-47 fighter pilot William "Bill" Nellis who was shot down and killed in Luxembourg in 1944 and is the person for whom Nellis Air Force Base is named. Aug. 28.
-- The Great Goliath, 69, who with his longtime tag-team partner Black Gordman won dozens of professional wrestling titles. Real name: Pablo O. Crispin. April 12.
-- Joe Haynes, 87, the first recreation director of Las Vegas ' Doolittle Community Center who developed athletic programs for underpriviledged youths in West Las Vegas and started the men's city basketball league. Jan. 2.
-- Joseph H. "Joe" Kelley, 93, longtime chairman of the Showboat Hotel whose decision to install bowling lanes eventually made his Boulder Highway resort the oldest stop on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Jan. 7.
-- Myron Leavitt, 73, a District Court judge and Nevada Supreme Court justice who presided over high-profile cases and was a member of the 1944 Las Vegas High football team that went undefeated and was unscored upon. Jan. 12.
-- Charlie Meyerson, 88, a one-time bookie who became a longtime casino host for Steve Wynn properties, including the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City and the Mirage and was renown for bringing in East Coast high-rollers. Nov. 27.
-- Stephen Michael "Mike" Lee, 55, a sports-betting analyst who won major football handicapping contests, penned columns for gaming publications and appeared on radio and television shows as a gambling expert. Sept. 8.
-- Lamond Mills, 62, a Vietnam War hero who served as a U.S. Attorney for Nevada during the 1980s and oversaw the convictions of crooked politicians and later served as a member of the Colorado River Commission. March 26.
-- Frank Modica, 76, longtime president of the Showboat Hotel who brought major boxing, professional wrestling and the roller derby to his Boulder Highway resort, and in 1994 was enshrined in the Nevada Gamers Hall of Fame. Oct. 3.
-- William Morse, 82, top Las Vegas civil attorney who successfully defended the Howard Hughes estate in the "Mormon will"/Melvin Dummar case and twice defeated "King of Torts" Melvin Belli in local cases. Dec. 6.
-- William "Doc" Pearson, 84, a longtime dentist who was the first black appointed to the Las Vegas City Council and later served as a two-term Clark County Commissioner. Feb. 11.
-- Sue Powers, 68, widow of late famed Cold War U-2 spy pilot Francis Gary Powers and a docent for an exhibit of her husband's artifacts earlier this year at the Atomc Testing Museum in Las Vegas. June 17.
-- Peggy Ryan, 80, an actress and dancer who made 32 films, appeared for eight seasons as a police secretary in the TV crime drama "Hawaii 5-0," and was a longtime Las Vegas dance teacher. Oct. 30.
-- Arthur Sartini, 67, who as executive director of the Las Vegas Housing Authority for 17 years led the agency through its era of greatest growth by building more than 1,600 apartments for the poor. Feb. 10.
-- Stanley Shpetner, 79, producer of the 1961 John Ford-directed Western "Two Rode Together" and the 1971 paranormal film drama "Sweet, Sweet Rachel." June 22.
-- Sigmund Stanislaus "Sig" Sakowicz, 80, host of the local weekly "Sig's Superstar" TV show of the 1970s and '80s, who interviewed hundreds of stars including Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart. Feb. 7.
-- Charlie "One-Putt" Teel, 81, who overcame the handicap of a childhood ailment that withered his left arm to win the 1957 and 1958 Nevada state amateur golf championships and several city titles. June 19.
-- Odis Thompson, 62, a star of the 1957-58 Las Vegas High state championship basketball team who helped propel Nevada Southern University (now UNLV) to its first winning basketball season in 1960. Jan 27.
-- Doris Troy, 67, a teenaged usher at the famed Apollo Theatre who dreamed of stardom as a professional singer and later achieved it by recording the 1963 Top 10 hit "Just One Look." Feb. 16.
-- Joe Viterelli, 66, a pug-faced, portly character actor known for his film roles as mobster types in "Analyze This" and "Bullets over Broadway." Jan. 29.
-- Ted Wiens, 84, local tire distributor who built his company from a single downtown distributership into 11 auto repair/tire shops and two commercial truck tire stores. Aug. 31.
--Timi Yuro, 63, a pop singer who scored her first hit in 1961 with "Hurt," followed by "What's A Matter Baby" and "I Apologize." Real name: Rosemary Timotea Aurro Yuro. March 30.
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