Lois Tarkanian, the wife of UNLV’s most famous basketball coach who also carved out her own identity in education, politics and community service, died Monday morning, according to family and officials.

She was last elected to the Nevada Board of Regents in 2020. Tarkanian previously held elected positions on the Las Vegas City Council for 14 years and on the Clark County School District Board of Trustees for 12 years.

She received numerous community awards and Tarkanian Middle School opened in 2006 to honor her and her husband, the late Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian.

“Dr. Throughout her remarkable life, Lois Tarkanian was a passionate and tireless champion for education at every level,” the Nevada System of Higher Education wrote in a statement.

“(NSHE) is honored to have benefited from her dedicated service as a member of the NSHE Board of Regents, where her leadership and dedication to higher education have enriched the Silver State.”

NSHE added, “While her family name is widely celebrated for its connection to UNLV, Dr. Tarkanian much further, leaving a lasting impact on education and shaping the future of Nevada students for generations to come. The Nevada System of Higher Education mourns the passing of Dr. Tarkanian and extends her sincere condolences to her family and loved ones.”

Tarkanian was often overshadowed by her husband, whom she followed as his coaching career progressed yet created her own path. When Jerry Tarkanian died in 2015, the couple had been married for almost sixty years.

“Jerry has been in poor health since 2009,” Lois Tarkanian said in a statement at the time. “He fought his health problems with the same tenacity he displayed throughout his life. … Our hearts are broken but filled with incredible memories.”

Education was a lifelong passion for Lois Tarkanian. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in speech and hearing, and a doctorate in leadership and human behavior.

Tarkanian began her career as a first grade teacher and then became a speech therapist and administrator. She also taught at the Community College of Southern Nevada (later renamed the College of Southern Nevada) and several universities in California.

She co-founded and served on the board of the Public Education Foundation. Tarkanian also served on the boards of FACT-Family and Child Treatment Center for Abused Children, Oralingua School for the Hearing Impaired, Nevada PEP (Professionals Empowering Parents) and EMERGE Nevada, which mentors potential future women leaders. She also chaired the Clark High School Teacher Education Advisory Committee.

Oralingua is a private day school in California that Tarkanian founded for deaf children. She was also behind the creation of a program for deaf children in CSN’s preschool laboratory.

Tarkanian, a Democrat, entered politics in 1988 when she ran for the Clark County school board, easily defeating former board member Helen Cannon. This began a twelve-year term on the board, including the position as president.

After three successful election campaigns, Tarkanian campaigned for a seat on the Clark County Commission in 2000. However, her winning streak ended in a 546-vote loss to Chip Maxfield.

In 2005, she challenged Las Vegas Councilwoman Janet Moncrief in a recall election. Tarkanian defeated Moncrief, who served just 19 months, and fellow challenger Vicki Quinn. Tarkanian won with 810 votes.

She rose to become mayor pro tem and held her seat on the city council until she was forced to leave due to term limits in 2019.

During her time on the City Council, Tarkanian was a strong supporter of UNLV establishing a medical school. She also voted against the use of public money to build a professional football stadium in 2014, a measure that nevertheless passed 4-3.

“Memories are the gold of kings, they say. If you have them, you have everything you need,” she said during her last city council meeting. “And some of them remind us that each of us can and does make a difference.”

However, her political days were not over.

She ran for the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents in 2020, received support from both political parties, and won by a margin of more than 20 points over incumbent Bret Whipple.

Among her many accolades, Tarkanian was named Humanitarian of the Year by Catholic Community Services and Citizen of the Year by the Westcare Foundation. She also received the Silver Lily Humanitarian of the Year Award from March of Dimes.

Tarkanian’s son, Danny, followed her into politics, although not with her record. He ran and lost six races for offices, including Senate, Secretary of State and Congress, before eventually moving to Northern Nevada and winning a seat on the Douglas County Commission in 2002 by just 17 votes.