GLENDA MANDEL 

Born April 8th, in the District of Columbia, raised in 
Southern California and made the Las Vegas Valley her 
home in 1955, Glenda Lee Mandel passed away Nov. 23, 
2009. She was 83 years old. Early on, Glenda found she 
had a natural talent and love for the ice and began 
figure skating in Paramount, Calif., with her pal, 
Jean Zamboni. A 1944 graduate of Southgate High 
School, she left California to tour with Olympian Ice 
Skating Champion and International Star, Sonia Henie. 
She would travel the world and see places most women 
her age would never have the chance to visit. She 
often retold stories of traveling through the "Iron 
Curtain" or to the 1950's paradise of Havana, Cuba. 
She met her husband-to-be, Joe, while both were 
employed by Hollywood on Ice, and after completing 
nine seasons of globetrotting, the Mandels settled in 
Las Vegas. Joe was a stage technician at several major 
casinos, as well as business agent for Local 720, 
while Glenda tried her hand as a PBX operator and 
wardrobe dresser until she found her niche as an 
extraordinary mother. She was a passionate and loving 
advocate for her child. In addition, she was the 
assistant director of Guest Relations at the Sands 
Hotel. She was active in Ruby S. Thomas' Parent 
Program, Friends Rainbow (Youth Theatre Company) and 
the Star Auxiliary. Travel remained a large part of 
Glenda's extra-curricular schedule. She enjoyed 
returning to California for reunions with her high 
school "Merrymakers" club members, visiting with her 
friend of 80 years, Helen Perry, or gathering with 
former professional skaters. She followed the musical 
theatre career of her daughter by making trips to 
Toronto, Chicago and New York City. Her newest love, a 
Yorkie puppy named Chloe, would make her laugh and 
give her hours of entertainment. Always direct and 
willing to share her often rye sense of humor, Glenda 
was a balance of honesty and integrity with shy and 
ultra-modest charms. As said by a dear friend of 
Glenda's, "She was a true one-of-a-kind original and 
though she left this world for a better place, she's 
definitely left this world a lesser place." She is 
survived by her daughter, Lisa Mandel of Henderson and 
New York City; cousins, Shirley Conley of 
Gardnerville, Nev., Donna Hammond of Balboa Island, 
Calif., Judy Peck of Orange County, Calif., Dorothy 
Travis of Virginia, Delores Cannon of Edgewater, Md., 
and Gloria Edwards of Silver Spring, Md.; nephews and 
nieces, Steven Mandel of Chicago, Jody Marince of 
Austin, Texas, Linda Miller Browning of Palm Springs, 
Calif., and Tom Miller of Los Angeles. Graveside 
services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Palm 
Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave. In lieu of flowers, the 
family requests donations to the Will Rogers Institute 
or the University of Arizona's Alumni Association - 
Glenda Mandel.

Published in Las Vegas Review-Journal on November 29, 
2009