William G. "Bill" Flangas

his Family. Bill was born in Ely, Nevada on June 4, 1927, to Gust William and Poloxene

Flangas, both of whom were Greek immigrants from the area of Thermopoly. Poloxene passed

away when Bill was just six months old, and Gust was killed about year later in a tragic accident

between his car and a train in the heart of Ely. Bill was raised by his Aunt and Uncle, Alexander

J. and Fotene Flangas in Ely, along with their three sons, John, Gus and Ernest Flangas. Bill was

a lifetime resident of Nevada, having moved to Las Vegas in 1958 from Ely. Bill proudly served

in the United States Navy in World War II, and was part of the initial occupation force in Tokyo.

Bill graduated in 1951 from the University of Nevada at Reno with a degree in Metallurgical

Engineering, and went to work for the Kennecott Copper Corporation in South America and later

in White Pine County, Nevada. In 1958, Bill completed his Engineer of Mines Degree (E.M.),

and was recruited and hired by the Reynolds Electric & Engineering Company (“Reeco”), the

prime contractor at the Nevada Test Site, Mercury, Nevada. After joining Reeco, Bill led the

initial efforts to move the atmospheric nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site

underground. He led the first reentry teams into the tunnels after detonating an atomic device.

One such reentry nearly cost him his life. Bill also led the first ever underground recovery of a

ground zero after an atomic blast. Many of Bill’s efforts in moving the testing of atomic weapons

underground are memorialized in a book entitled: “Caging the Dragon.” Bill stayed at the Nevada

Test Site for 37 years, serving as Tunnel Superintendent and Department Manager, Division

Manager, and Vice President. After leaving the Test Site in 1995, Bill became an Underground

Mining, Construction & Management Consultant primarily working in Nevada. Bill also served

as an underground expert on the Treaty Monitoring Teams for the Threshold Test Ban Treaty

(TTBT) and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty (PNET), and traveled to Russia in that capacity

on the U.S. Treaty Teams. He was also involved with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

(CTBT) efforts. Bill was also very active in the Community. He was instrumental in youth

athletics and in developing baseball and basketball leagues that allowed thousands of kids to play

ball. In conjunction with these efforts, Bill led the way in having 11 desperately needed baseball

fields lit up by putting the process in motion, putting together the volunteer labor force, and

getting all the equipment donated that was necessary to dig power lines and set the power poles.

Bill also led the way in the construction of a multimillion dollar gym facility, which was

completed in 1976. Through his efforts, the gym was constructed using only volunteer labor. In

addition, through his efforts all the equipment for construction was donated as well as a vast

amount of the construction supplies. The gym was sold to the Boy and Girls Club in 1984 for one

dollar, and is known today as the Lied Boys and Girl Club, located on Lindell and Edna in Las

Vegas. Bill served as a member, and as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the State Public Works

Board from 1964 to 1985. He served on the Mackay School of Mines Advisory Council, whose

efforts saved the school’s accreditation and kept Nevada’s only mining school as one of the best

in the Country. He served on the UNLV Athletic Commission, and on the Board of Directors for

the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas. He was a Trustee for the University Medical Center

Foundation which raised over six million dollars for the Medical Center. Foundation Projects

included Southern Nevada’s sponsorship of the Children’s Miracle Network. He was also

instrumental in establishing a monument in Ely to honor those from White Pine County who

perished while serving their Country in the Armed Forces going back to 1898. He was appointed

by Governor Kenny Guinn to serve as a member of the State Ethics Commission and served as

its Vice Chairman. He was the Nevada Engineer of the Year in 1976. He received the Las Vegas

Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds Award in 1979. He received the TV-3 Spirit Award in

1983. He was honored as the 1984 Distinguished Nevadan by the University of Nevada Board of

Regents. He received the Award of Excellence in Support of Nuclear Weapons Testing Program

in 1992. He received an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree in Human Letters from the

Community College of Southern Nevada in 1999, and was honored as the Mackay School of

Earth Sciences and Engineering Alumnus of the Year in 2007. Bill was a member of St. John the

Baptist Greek Orthodox Church for almost 60 years, serving over the years on the Church Parish

Council, Building Committee and Audit Committee, and working on many other projects. Bill

was an intensely devoted and loving family man. He is survived by his wonderful wife of over 62

years, Marilyn Flangas, his sons, Gus “Billy” (Tamara) Flangas and Gary (Amanda) Flangas, and

his 10 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by son, Albert (Trudi) Flangas. He is also

survived by his brothers, John (Carmen) Flangas and Ernest Flangas, and many other relatives

and Godchildren. There will be a Viewing at 4 p.m. Friday, January 4th, with a Trisagion

following at 5 p.m. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 5th. The viewing,

Trisagion and Funeral will all be at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 5300 El

Camino Road (located on W. Hacienda Ave between Torrey Pines and Jones). At Bill’s request,

burial will be in Ely, Nevada on Monday, January 7th at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may

be made in his honor to the St. John Building Fund. May his memory be eternal.