Jo Anne Melland, 84, of Las Vegas, passed away June 27, 2014. She was born in Portland, Oregon on October 4, 1929, and moved to Las Vegas in 1959, where she began her long career with the Dunes Hotel and Casino. Jo was an executive assistant at the Dunes Hotel until she turned off the lights the evening the hotel was imploded to make room for the Bellagio. During her tenure at the Dunes Hotel, she was the first female employee of a major casino to be named on a casino gaming license. She then worked for the Weisner family until she retired from Big Dog's Hospitality Group in 2007. Jo is survived by two sisters, Renee Murray of Las Cruces, New Mexico and Beth Zubitis of Tacoma, Washington; three children, Kip Melland of Las Vegas, Connie Sartain of Montana, and Scott Melland of Yucca Valley, California; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and many loving nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, July 3, at Palm Eastern Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Avenue. Graveside services will follow at Palm Valley View Memorial Park.
Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.
