Former Clark County Commissioner Darwin Lamb dies at 83

Darwin Lamb, who served as a Clark County commissioner for six years in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Cedar City, Utah.

The last living of 12 siblings, including former state Sen. Floyd Lamb and former Clark County Sheriff Ralph Lamb, Darwin Lamb was born in Alamo on April 20, 1932, and was involved in politics from the time he was teenager.

Lamb, owner of Western Furniture, ran unsuccessfully for a Clark County Commission seat in 1960, but he beat candidate Bert Leavitt in 1964. The longtime Democrat campaigned on improved services with emphasis on Clark County's recreational needs.

He ran again in 1966 for a four-year, at-large commission seat, touting 11 new parks and 10 new lighted baseball diamonds built during his first term. Lamb won and was elected vice chairman of the commission in '66 and chairman in '68.

Lamb was a world-class cowboy who won 38 championship buckles and 21 saddles. He built Los Rancheros steakhouse and founded Lamb and One Corp., the largest distributor of soda syrups and dispensers in Nevada in 1971.

After retirement from the soda company, Lamb moved to Cedar City.

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mavourneen; three children, Tommy, Ocey and Marion; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his seven brothers: Ralph, Floyd, Sheldon, Phil, Bill, Alton and Larry; and four sisters: Myrtle Howery, Erma McIntosh, Fae Mason and Wanda Peccole.

"Gosh we had such a wonderful life together," 68-year-old Mavourneen Lamb said Thursday. "We've had so many wonderful adventures."

The pair met at Lamb's steakhouse when Mauvourneen was 30 and working for an airline. She had gone to the steakhouse to console a friend who was having problems with her boyfriend.

Lamb was walking past her when he pointed a finger at her and said ''Don't you leave." He got on stage to sing, saw Mavourneen dancing with a man and took the man's seat when the song was over.

"'I'm moving in on you buddy,' he said. And we've been together ever since," Mavourneen said. Her husband always loved and trusted people and helped them whenever he could.

"All. Of. His. Life," she said emphatically. "He never changed."

Lamb died of pneumonia at home, surrounded by family, his wife said.

A public memorial service will be in Cedar City from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Lamb's old restaurant, Rusty's Ranch House.

A Las Vegas memorial will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Gilcrease Ranch Ward, 6051 Dorrell Lane, near Jones Boulevard.

— Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber.