One last dance

Though she is still grieving, Las Vegas resident Marlene Colamussi opens the door to her Las Vegas home with a bright smile and a warm embrace for a new friend -- Solari Hospice Care's Shelly Denson, who helped to bring comfort to 82-year-old Nicholas "Nick" Colamussi and his loved ones during his last days.

Nick Colamussi lost his battle with cancer on June 17, 2011. He passed away at Solari's inpatient hospice home in Las Vegas, surrounded by his loved ones in a private room strung in bright Christmas lights.

"Nicky loved lights. He was so 'showbiz,' " said Marlene Colamussi, stepping into a large room that pays homage both to her late husband and to the Golden Age of Las Vegas entertainment.

Vintage album covers, posters and framed photographs -- some featuring Nick Colamussi with members of the Rat Pack and other notable entertainers of the day -- adorn walls, display cabinets and tabletops. A veteran and a longtime member of the entertainment community in Sin City and beyond, Nick Colamussi began his career as a dancer who made appearances on such illustrious stages as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and the famous Parisian cabaret, "Lido."

"Any picture you see," Marlene Colamussi said, "you'll always see a smile on his face."

An eternally optimistic man with a humble yet outgoing personality and generous nature, Nick Colamussi was the kind of person who "just draws you in," explained Marlene Colamussi, a former Reno blackjack dealer who met her future husband on a blind date about 20 years ago. "He didn't know he had so many friends."

Nick Colamussi remained connected to the entertainment industry even after he hung up his tap shoes, serving as maître d' in some of Las Vegas's most popular showrooms. He was still greeting guests at the Riviera when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2010.

After an intense series of treatments -- including four chemotherapy sessions and 32 radiation treatments -- Marlene Colamussi recalls, Nick began feeling well enough to look forward to the couple's annual Halloween party. They always went all out for the costume fete at their home.

"We were all so happy when we had that last party," said Marlene Colamussi, pointing to a photo collage of joyful party scenes over the years. The collage includes shots of her and Nick Colamussi dressed as rockers Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Alice and the Cheshire Cat, and Hugh Hefner and his "One-Night Stand."

The couple anticipated many more fun times with friends and family -- never expecting that Nick Colamussi (with his wife at his side) would spend his final months in and out of six hospitals and rehabilitation centers for aggressive treatment of the cancer that had moved to his brain.

"I didn't know it couldn't be fixed. I kept thinking the rehab would do it, but it was too late," Marlene Colamussi said. "It was devastating."

Overwhelmed by the decisions she now had to make regarding her terminally ill husband's care, and "tired of getting yanked around," Marlene Colamussi said she really didn't know what to expect when she placed the call to Solari Hospice Care. What she found was a caring person on the other end of the line -- Shelly Denson -- who helped Marlene understand end-of-life care options and Solari's philosophy and services.

"Shelly painted a beautiful picture of Solari, which was accurate, and she was so sweet and kind," Marlene Colamussi said. "The thing I liked so much was that I would be able to bring Nicky home."

Unfortunately, by the time the Colamussis were referred to hospice, his condition was so dire that his symptoms couldn't be safely managed in their home. Instead, he was transferred directly from Las Vegas' Valley Hospital Medical Center to Solari's hospice home on South Jones Boulevard.

Marlene Colamussi remembers smelling fresh-baked cookies and hot coffee the first time she walked into the hospice home.

"Everything was so fresh and clean and pretty. It felt like walking into a living room," she said.

And the compassionate staff, including Medical Director Mike Jeong, D.O., made sure the couple's other loved ones felt comfortable and supported during that difficult time.

"Dr. Jeong made me feel so much more at ease. He's a doll," Marlene Colamussi said. "We really felt like he was taking the time for us, giving us really personalized care."

In a homelike environment, with no time restrictions and plenty of help making necessary arrangements, Marlene Colamussi finally was able to focus her full attention on her husband during his last few days.

"I would recommend Solari to anyone, anywhere, anytime," she said. "There was so much love."