Individual Details
Judy Belk
(1915 - 31 Dec 1971)
Obituary appeared in the Reno Evening Gazette, Friday, December 31, 1971. Vegas Woman Gambler Dead. Las Vegas, Judy Bayley, chairman of the board of the Hacienda Hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip died today following a long fight against cancer. She was 56. Mrs. Bayley took over as chairman at the Hacienda on Dec. 27, 1964, following the death of her husband and soon became known as "The First Lady of Gambling." Born in Dallas, Tex., she attended Southern Methodist University and later married "Doc" Bayley. The couple then entered the hotel business owning or operating hotels in Fresno, Bakersfield, Indio and Los Angeles. The Hacienda was opened in 1956. Mrs. Bayley was active in the American Cancer Society, the National Conference of Christian and Jews, the Heart Fund and March of Dimes. Her death, in her Hacienda suite, ended a bout with cancer that started nearly two years ago. Funeral services were pending.
From the Washington Post-Times Herald, Washington, D.C. ,January 2, 1972: Judy Bayley, 56, Las Vegas Figure. Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 1, &UPI)---Judy Bayley, known as "the first lady of gambling," died Friday after a long illness. She was 56. Mrs. Bayley came here in 1956 with her husband, the late Warren (Doc) Bayley, when he built the Hacienda Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. She had been chairman of the hotel's board of directors since his death in 1964. Her death was attributed to cancer. She was said to be Nevada's top contributor to cancer research and had been honored by the American Cancer Society. She underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last winter. She is survived by her mother, Ida Belk, and a brother, Fred, who live in Dallas, Tex.
Posted at Find-A-Grave.com: Judy Bayley was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1915 to Fred and Ada Belk. In 1936, she married Warren "Doc" Bayley, the owner of a chain of California hotels. The Bayleys came to Las Vegas in 1953 to begin expanding their chain into the booming casino business on the Strip. They opened the Hacienda Hotel and Casino in 1956. Folowing her husband's death in 1964, she became the first woman in Nevada history to be the sole owner and operator of a hotel-casino. She was also a noted philanthropist, raising funds for cancer and heart disease research, just two of her many charitable causes. She helped finance a performing arts center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, that bears her name.
From the Washington Post-Times Herald, Washington, D.C. ,January 2, 1972: Judy Bayley, 56, Las Vegas Figure. Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 1, &UPI)---Judy Bayley, known as "the first lady of gambling," died Friday after a long illness. She was 56. Mrs. Bayley came here in 1956 with her husband, the late Warren (Doc) Bayley, when he built the Hacienda Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. She had been chairman of the hotel's board of directors since his death in 1964. Her death was attributed to cancer. She was said to be Nevada's top contributor to cancer research and had been honored by the American Cancer Society. She underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last winter. She is survived by her mother, Ida Belk, and a brother, Fred, who live in Dallas, Tex.
Posted at Find-A-Grave.com: Judy Bayley was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1915 to Fred and Ada Belk. In 1936, she married Warren "Doc" Bayley, the owner of a chain of California hotels. The Bayleys came to Las Vegas in 1953 to begin expanding their chain into the booming casino business on the Strip. They opened the Hacienda Hotel and Casino in 1956. Folowing her husband's death in 1964, she became the first woman in Nevada history to be the sole owner and operator of a hotel-casino. She was also a noted philanthropist, raising funds for cancer and heart disease research, just two of her many charitable causes. She helped finance a performing arts center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, that bears her name.
Events
| Birth | 1915 | Door Co., Wisconsin |  | ||
| Marriage | 14 Jun 1936 | Judith Belk to Warren Bayley, Durant, Bryan Co., Oklahoma - Warren "Doc" Vance Bayley | | ||
| Death | 31 Dec 1971 | Las Vegas, Clark Co., Nevada | | ||
| Burial | Palm Desert Memorial Cemetery, Las Vegas, Clark Co., Nevada | |
Families
| Spouse | Warren "Doc" Vance Bayley (1900 - 1964) |