Paul Ross Aznarez, ’73 Business, died Feb. 22, 2026, at age 75. A longtime Las Vegas educator and coach, Aznarez worked with student-athletes at Indian Springs, Valley, and Palo Verde high schools and also coached at UNLV, earning respect for his mentorship and dedication. He enjoyed fishing, camping, sports, and cooking, and cherished time with his three children and four grandchildren.
Henri “Hank” Day, former manager of UNLV’s Mail Center, died Jan. 3. Day joined UNLV in 1990 and spent 28 years with the university, including 17 years as Mail Center manager before retiring in 2017. He was a member of the National Association of College and University Mail Services and the Rocky Mountain Association of College and University Mail Services. Day was an avid dart player and a devoted baseball fan who was close to achieving his goal of visiting all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums.
John Filler, professor emeritus of early childhood and special education, died Jan. 3. Filler joined UNLV in 1989 and served in the College of Education, where he was a faculty research adviser for the UNLV/CSUN Preschool. Known for his research, mentorship, and advocacy for young children and individuals with disabilities, he published in journals focused on child development and special education. Filler held faculty and research positions at the University of Idaho, California State University, Hayward, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Illinois Chicago. He earned a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Vanderbilt University and served as chair of the UNLV Faculty Senate.
Kay Kindred, emerita professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law, died Jan. 28, 2026. Kindred joined the law school from William & Mary Law School in 1989. At UNLV, she taught contracts, remedies, family law, education law, children’s law, and law and society, and her research included constitutional law and conflict of laws. She earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1980 and served as submissions editor of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. She previously worked for General Electric and Old Dominion University. Kindred published extensively on family law, children’s rights, and education law.
Gerda Malamud, a longtime member of the UNLV community and supporter of its arts programs, died Feb. 19. Malamud moved to Las Vegas in 1968 when her husband, Bernard Malamud, joined the UNLV faculty. He later served for many years as a professor and chair of the economics department. Over the decades, the Malamuds became part of the university’s close-knit faculty community and supported campus cultural programs, including the UNLV Chamber Music Society and Nevada Conservatory Theatre.
Gerald Paddio, ’92 BA Criminal Justice, former member of UNLV’s 1986-87 Final Four team and a former NBA and international professional player, died April 4, 2026. He was 60. Born in Lafayette and raised in Rayne, Louisiana, Paddio starred at Seminole State before transferring to UNLV, where he helped the Runnin’ Rebels reach a 37-2 record and the Final Four. Paddio was selected in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics and played three seasons in the NBA with the Cavaliers, SuperSonics, Pacers, Knicks, and Bullets. He later played professionally overseas in France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Japan, Mexico, and Argentina. Former teammates and fans remember him for his skill, work ethic, and quiet competitive spirit, which left a lasting mark on the UNLV basketball community.
Clarence George Ray, former economics and statistics instructor, died Nov. 16, 2025, at age 84. Ray taught at UNLV through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s and was known for engaging students and mentoring colleagues. He graduated from the College of Charleston and earned his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. Ray was an avid world traveler, later enjoying winters in Thailand and summers at his cabin in the mountains of southern Utah. He enjoyed a good Scotch and telling many tall tales (or were they?)
Brad Rothermel, former UNLV athletic director who guided the Rebels through a defining era of success, died March 30, 2026. He was 88. Rothermel led UNLV athletics from 1981 to 1990, a stretch marked by national prominence and sustained winning, including 33 conference championships and the men’s basketball team’s 1990 NCAA national title. Working closely with coach Jerry Tarkanian, he helped build a high-profile program that elevated the university’s reputation across multiple sports. After stepping down, he remained a fixture at UNLV as a professor and later a special adviser to the athletics department. He was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
Vernon L. “Mac” Sohrt, ’90 BA Hotel Administration, a longtime Nevada gaming and convention sales executive, died Jan. 31, 2026. He was 70. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, and raised in Reno, Sohrt began his career at the Tropicana Las Vegas in the late 1970s. He later spent much of his career as executive vice president of sales at John Ascuaga’s Nugget and also held leadership roles at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino and Grand Sierra Resort.
John Stefanelli, emeritus faculty member in the Harrah College of Hospitality, died Dec. 12, 2025. A 1978 graduate of the University of Denver, Stefanelli joined UNLV’s then-named College of Hotel Administration that same year and spent 33 years teaching and mentoring students. He served as chair of the Department of Food & Beverage and held the Claudine Williams Distinguished Chair from 1992 to 1994. Stefanelli also authored the widely used textbook “Purchasing: Selection & Procurement for the Hospitality Industry.”
Terri Thompson, director of IT administrative services at UNLV, died March 5. Thompson joined the Office of Information Technology in 2019 and was promoted to director in 2022. She oversaw administrative operations including budget, accounting, human resources, procurement, and asset management. Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University. She worked in the Nevada System of Higher Education for more than 22 years, holding positions at the University of Nevada, Reno; Truckee Meadows Community College; Great Basin College; and system administration before coming to UNLV.
Mark Yoseloff, founding executive director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Innovation, died Feb. 18 at age 79. Originally from Queens, New York, Yoseloff moved to Nevada in 1997 and was appointed chairman and CEO of Shuffle Master, a role he held for more than a decade. He also taught at Princeton and Arizona State. During his career, he held more than 60 U.S. patents. A prolific inventor and member of the American Gaming Association Hall of Fame, Yoseloff helped establish the Center for Gaming Innovation after teaching the inaugural Gaming Innovation course in 2013. The center gives students hands-on experience designing and developing casino games and gaming technology.
