STEPHEN J. ROMEO: 1952-2007

Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007 | 6:53 a.m.

Stephen J. Romeo, a local high school sports hero who carved out a three-decade career as a Nevada veterinarian, died Thursday at his Las Vegas home after a lengthy illness. He was 54.

Romeo was the eldest of 11 children of Las Vegas physician Donald Romeo and the late Barbara Romeo, Clark County's first mother of the year.

Services will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Palm Mortuary, 7400 W. Cheyenne Ave.

Romeo was a veterinarian for seven years in Pahrump and for 25 years in Elko.

Born in Denver, Romeo was an outstanding athlete at Bishop Gorman High School, earning All-State football honors at guard and making the All-State baseball team as a catcher, both in 1969.

He also was senior class president, a four-year member of the student council and a member of the National Honor Society. During his junior and senior years, he participated in the Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum.

After graduating from Gorman at age 17, Romeo was appointed to the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., and earned an officer's commission.

After serving in the Merchant Marine , he returned to Nevada and received a degree in zoology from UNR. Romeo earned his veterinary degree from Kansas State University.

His father was a ringside physician at major professional boxing matches in Nevada from the 1960s to the 1980s and the Clark County jail doctor from 1960 to 1978.

Stephen Romeo also is survived by five brothers, Michael, Tom, Richard, Donald and Mark Romeo; and four sisters, Marcy Humm, Patty Romeo, Katie Jones and Polly Becker.