Otto Hakon Ravenholt, 84, of Las Vegas, passed away March 18, 2012. He was a chief health officer and coroner for Clark County for more than 30 years. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1947 and was sent to its language training school, where he mastered Japanese. He served in the military intelligence branch during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1952. He was born May 17, 1927 on a farm in Luck, Wis. He was one of nine children born to Ensgar and Kristine Peterson Ravenholt. He was a nearly 50-year resident of Nevada. Ravenholt started from humble beginnings in rural Wisconsin and became a leader in public health in Nevada. His legacy continues today with the many programs he developed and the people he influenced and affected with his work during more than three decades. He graduated from high school in 1946 and enrolled in the University of Minnesota, working full time to pay his way. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1947 and was sent to a training school to learn Japanese. He pursued a medical degree after his discharge in 1952, earning the degree in 1958. He served his internship at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Seattle. He was hired in 1960 to head the Shawnee County Health Department in Topeka, Kan. He supervised Shawnee County's new health department before accepting the job as Clark County's first chief health officer in 1963. He arrived in Las Vegas two months before his scheduled start date to help persuade voters to approve a $1.2 million bond issue for construction of a new health center. He was a public health pioneer and spearheaded many public health reforms and initiatives, including stronger sanitation control and food service training in restaurants and hotels, and contagious disease, infant mortality, children's immunizations, animal control and dust control programs. Dr. Ravenholt served as Medical Director of Clark County Emergency Medical System. He launched the coroner's inquest system and served as coroner for 26 years. Upon his retirement in 1997, the County named the Otto Ravenholt Public Health Center for his service. He also volunteered as administrator of University Medical Center and helped Gov. Paul Laxalt oversee state employees in the late 1960's. Dr. Ravenholt served on a variety of professional associations including his service as the President of the Schools of Public Health Certification Committee. He and his wife Barbara, of nearly 35 years, loved to travel, visiting family and friends throughout the country and exploring new places around the world. They often took car trips throughout the United States, pursuing interests in small towns and other arcane American sites. Dr. Ravenholt was a voracious reader of newspapers, magazines, books, any written word. He often clipped articles he thought others would enjoy. He loved to fish, golf, camp, and most of all, watch sports on television. He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara Ravenholt; sons, Garth Ravenholt and Dirk Ravenholt, both of Las Vegas, and Jon Ravenholt of Emmett, Idaho; daughters, Kim Ringland of Grass Valley, Calif., Sherri Petruso of Las Vegas, and Theresa Dettre of Pahrump; son, Stefan Meisner of Chevy Chase, Md.; several grandchildren and great- grandchildren; his brother, Reimert Ravenholt and his wife, Betty; sisters, Gerda Bune and her husband, Bob, Johanna Fremont, Agnes Nussle, and Astrid Ravenholt. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m., Thursday, March 22. Services at noon, Friday, March 23, both at Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave. Burial at West Denmark Cemetery in Luck at a future date. Donations in Ravenholt's memory may be made to Three Square food bank, 4190 N. Pecos Road, Las Vegas, NV, 89115, or the West Denmark Lutheran Church at 2478 170th St., Luck, WI 54853.
Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.
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