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Saying the rosary for Guinn

Wearing a 12-year-old "Team Guinn" T-shirt, Teri Williams of Las Vegas joined Nevadans of all stripes who gathered Monday to bid former Gov. Kenny Guinn a prayerful farewell.

Williams, who volunteered for Guinn's campaign in 1998, said she was shocked by his unexpected death. She felt compelled to attend a rosary service in his honor and thought the T-shirt was the perfect attire.

"I searched and pulled out my shirt. I had to wear it," said Williams, 58.

Warm feelings for Guinn, 73, and grief were abundant Monday night at St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Roman Catholic Church on West Sahara Avenue, east of Tenaya Way. That's where mourners filled pews in a sanctuary that accommodates about 1,400.

Those close to Guinn were still in shock. The former governor was said to have been vibrant and energetic. The day he died, Guinn was on the roof of his house clearing away pine needles.

"He was one of those guys who never got old to me," said Billy Vassiliadis, a longtime friend, confidant and political adviser to Guinn. "I've known him for 30 years. It is just senseless."

Dema Guinn, who was married to the former governor for 54 years, did not attend the rosary service. Sources close to the family said she attended a private viewing earlier and plans to attend today's funeral at the church. The two met as children in Exeter, Calif.

Williams said she recently bumped into the couple at a grocery store near downtown. Williams was touched that the two-term Republican took several minutes to chat and laugh with her.

She said the encounter reminded her of why she supported Kenny Guinn's candidacy 12 years ago.

"Because I knew him personally, I wasn't too concerned about the politics," she said. "I knew whatever he did was going to be all right."

Those close to Guinn said they weren't surprised by the outpouring of emotion triggered by his death.

They described Guinn as a man who, despite having achieved success as a school superintendent, banker, university president and governor, maintained the humble demeanor he picked up as the son of an Arkansas sharecropper who moved to California during the Great Depression.

"He told wonderful stories about the wisdom of his father," said Mike Hillerby, Guinn's chief of staff from 2003-06.

Larry Ruvo, a friend of the Guinn family, spoke during the evening memorial.

He recalled Guinn's fondness for explaining ideas with flip charts and his talent for crunching numbers.

He also spoke at length about Guinn's love for education and his efforts to create the Millennium Scholarship program, which has helped about 60,000 Nevadans go to college.

Ruvo said he could imagine God being distraught by the tough economic times that have gripped Las Vegas and tested families and workers across Nevada. Friends have said that greatly upset Guinn, even though he was out of office.

"Maybe God decided he needed an expert like Kenny to help him," Ruvo said. "If we pull out of this recession sooner rather than later, no doubt that recovery will have Kenny Guinn's fingerprints all over it."

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@ reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.

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