JAMES FRANCIS SEAGRAVE
The Las Vegas lights have burned a little less bright since Wednesday, September 28 when James Francis Seagrave passed away at the age of 83. Although he lived in Vegas for over 60 years, his story began in California...
Jim was born and raised in the Mission District of San Francisco. He enjoyed a happy childhood surrounded by love, comic books, baseball cards, and beloved family, most notably his two brothers, Tom and Peter, and his sister, Jane. After graduating from Archbishop Riordan High School, he made his family very proud by attending Santa Clara University where he studied English.
After graduating from Santa Clara in 1960, Jim began his career as a reporter for the Juneau Daily Alaska Empire. It was here he met famed newspaper editor Bob Brown, who moved to Las Vegas to edit the Review-journal and asked Jim to come with him. Jim eagerly joined him and began his Las Vegas career as a sports reporter. Soon after arriving in Vegas, Jim entered the army where he served two years. He then returned to Las Vegas and served as a news reporter, covering the police, federal courts, education, and general assignments.
In December 1964, Jim began his career in advertising and publicity. He became an account executive at Hank Kovell's advertising agency and remained there until 1967 when he joined the publicity department at the new Aladdin Hotel. After his time at the Aladdin, he went to work for the Flamingo as Director of Publicity. He remained there until 1972, working on such stories as the discovery of a safe belonging to Bugsy Siegel and a bobcat who somehow found its way into the hotel.
Jim continued his career in hotel publicity and advertising at the Thunderbird and then at Caesars Palace. He then returned to journalism as a columnist, specializing in television and radio coverage, first for his old boss, Brown, at The Valley Times, then at the Review-journal. It was around this time that he met the love of his life, Jan Plowman, a fellow journalist, who soon became his wife. Jim and Jan had two daughters, Elizabeth and Jill.
Jim's career continued to the Frontier, where he later became a hotel vice president and was involved in publicizing the hotel's showroom stars, Siegfried and Roy. In 1988, Jim began his longest tenure in publicity with Boyd Gaming. He went to work at the Stardust Hotel as Vice President of Advertising and Marketing. There he was involved in everything from annual parties celebrating longtime Las Vegans to the long-running Lido de Paris and Las Vegas legend Wayne Newton in the showroom. When the Stardust closed in 2006, Jim moved over to The Orleans until he retired in 2013.
Jim was an extremely loyal and devoted husband, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend. He was especially dedicated to his wife Jan and loved showering her with little gifts and trips to beautiful places such as Zion National Park, Cedar City, UT, and San Gregorio, CA. He also took his fatherly duties to the next level. He brought his daughters to the gym to run basketball drills every morning before school, went roller skating with them every Saturday, and took the family to Catholic mass (and ice cream) every Sunday. He never missed a performance, never missed a game, kept every program, and clapped the loudest and the longest at every event. He excelled at the role of Grandpa too, delighting in bringing his four grandkids thoughtful goodie bags and books and getting on his hands and knees to play.
Jim will be remembered for his incredible writing, humor, wit and, most of all, his kindness - he never uttered an unkind word and will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Jim is survived by his wife of 44 years, Janet Seagrave of Las Vegas, and daughters Elizabeth Nunan, her husband John, their daughter Alice James and son John Dudley of Pleasant Hill, CA; Jillian Head, her husband Carey, and their daughters Charley Jane and Eva Louise Kathryn, also of Pleasant Hill, CA.
Jim is survived by his sister Jane Calavano of Burlingame, by nieces Christina Goff, her husband Jason and their daughters Penelope and Sabrina of Vallejo; Karen Mader, her husband Dan and their daughters Francine and Luella of Benicia; Tony Calavano of Palo Alto and Ryan Calavano of Los Angeles.
Jim is also survived by his brother Peter Seagrave of Las Vegas and his wife Manya. His niece Danielle Seagrave of Las Vegas; and by nephews Brian Seagrave and his wife Bethany of Monrovia and son Zachary Thomas, and David Seagrave of Livermore.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Eugene and Eleanor Marie (Mangan) Seagrave, his brother Father Tom Seagrave, brother-in-law Ron Calavano, brother-in-law Tom Schwab, Uncles Leo and Tom Mangan, and his Aunt Rita and Uncle Neil Kelleher. Private services for Jim will be held in the Bay Area.