Some people come to Las Vegas and lose everything. Stephen Perry swam against that tide and gained a new life here.
Perry, a vocational school graduate who worked his way to the top safety engineering position at The Venetian, died Wednesday of heart failure. He was 59.
Born in Quincy, Mass., he moved to Las Vegas in 1980 from Los Angeles.
"When he came here, he had just been through a divorce. He had nothing," said his wife, Gail, office manager at the Las Vegas Sun. "He was heartbroken."
He got a job at Western Linens, cleaning napkins and tablecloths for use in casinos -- hot, dirty work that didn't use his talent, Gail said.
He met Gail, and together the two headed back to her hometown of New York City. They made it as far as Denver, ran out of money and found jobs.
"After six months, we decided we missed Las Vegas," Gail said.
He got a job as a porter at the Las Vegas Club, but he was able to use his vocational training in electronics and an aptitude for mechanics to become an engineer at the hotel, she said.
He went on to the Golden Nugget, then worked his way up in Steve Wynn's organization. He helped open The Mirage and Treasure Island as assistant chief of engineering, then later moved to The Venetian to help open that resort as safety coordinator.
In that time he gained not only a good career, but also the respect of scores of his peers, his wife said.
A steady stream of co-workers and people who worked with him years ago stopped by to visit him in the hospital after he had a heart attack, Gail said.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one stepdaughter, Lanette Fisher-Hertz of Highland, N.Y.; and two grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled 2 p.m. Friday in Palm Mortuary, 1600 S. Jones Blvd.
The family suggests donations to Las Vegas Sun Camp Fund, 2275 Corporate Circle Drive, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074.
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