Valley philanthropist Darling dies at age 82

Local philanthropist Fred Darling will be remembered for his work with young athletes, contributions to charities and facilities, and his service in the U.S. Air Force.

Darling died on Dec. 17 at age 82, but his legacy will live on through his work in the community and in the memories of those who knew him.

Born in Grand Rapids, Mich., on March 7, 1933, Darling graduated from Michigan State University in 1955 and entered the Air Force, in which he served for 20 years. Darling landed in Las Vegas in 1970 when he was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Later, he became the owner of multiple 7-Eleven franchises in the Las Vegas area.

Darling was well-known for his philanthropy, most notably for a $1 million contribution to a city of Las Vegas tennis complex project, located at 7901 W. Washington Ave. His family loved tennis, and the complex memorializes his three children. The 23-court Amanda & Stacy Darling Memorial Tennis Center is named after his daughters, and the center court, which accommodates 3,000 spectators, is named after son Ronald.

"Through the loss of his three children, he was dedicated to keeping his family name alive and giving back to the community," facility manager Sandy Foley said Saturday.

Daughters Amanda and Stacy were 21 and 6, respectively, at the time of an automobile accident that killed both of them in June 1993. Eight years later, tragedy would strike again, as Ronald Darling, then a young father, died in a 2001 motorcycle accident.

Despite the devastating losses, Darling lived his life with grace and carried a calm demeanor, according to Foley.

Darling is "someone who will be missed, but his legacy will live on, and he made sure his daughters' and son's legacy will live on," Foley added. "Through his heartache he gave something really positive to the community."

The city of Las Vegas funded $29 million to the complex, which opened in September 2005.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman remembered Darling as "a friend of mine for many years who took great sadness and turned it into a huge and meaningful impact by creating the Darling Tennis Center for all those who loved tennis, youth, family and life just as he did. He will be greatly missed."

Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown, who served on the council at the time the tennis complex was built, said the Henderson resident wasn't one to seek the limelight for his donations and charitable activities.

"Fred was a community icon. He gave so much to Las Vegas especially to sports and to the athletes," Brown said. "He was always behind the scenes and never wanted credit. He was very humble."

Darling's selflessness touched many people including Ryan Wolfington, executive director of the United States Tennis Association-Nevada. "He was extremely kind and always trying to transform his challenges into opportunities to bring families closer together," Wolfington said. "He had a sensitivity to reach out and help people and tennis was that avenue."

Darling's involvement with the community and sports was not limited to tennis. In 2010, he was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame for not only his support of tennis but also his work with local youth baseball teams, according to the Hall of Fame website.

He started as a volunteer Little League coach and served as president of the Paradise Valley Little League in the 1970s. He later sponsored and managed an American Legion team of Valley High School-based players in 1981. That team became the first Nevada team to play in a national championship when they made the American Legion World Series, and later the team took second place in the 1986 World Series.

In addition to his support of baseball and tennis causes, Darling himself was an accomplished athlete as an avid tennis player, sailor, racquetball player and golfer.

Survivors include his wife, Cindy; sister, Mary Piotrowski; daughters, JoEllen Ritzo and Rebecca Quann; daughter-in-law, Barbara Darling; stepdaughter, Nicole Ewing; sons, Bob and Steven; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A celebration of his life is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. Jan. 31, at the Wildhorse Golf Course, 2100 W. Warm Springs Road in Henderson.

Donations in his memory may be made to The Meadows School, the American Cancer Society, Paradise Valley Little League and American Legion Baseball.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lawrenlinehan.