Arthur W. Cozad III

Arthur W. Cozad III, 78, of Henderson, Nevada, passed away on 20 April 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born in Inglewood, California. Art joined the US Marine Corps in 1966 and was sent to Vietnam, where he earned the Purple Heart for being combat wounded. He was later assigned to Embassy duty in Colombia, South America. After his service in the US Marine Corps, Art continued his service to our nation, serving in the US Air Force Reserve.

Art was previously married and had 2 sons. He then met the love of his life, Ana Cozad. They married on December 1991 and were happily married for 34 years. Art and Ana met while serving in the US Air Force Reserve. Each sharing what it was like being single again and navigating the single world. He was Ana’s dancing buddy and finally decided that, as best friends, they were meant for each other.

Art served 33 years in the military, retiring as a Master Sergeant, First Sergeant. Becoming a First Sergeant was the highlight of his military career, winning the award of First Sergeant of the Year from the 163rd Air Refueling Wing, March ARB, California. He also retired from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) in San Dimas, California, after working for them for over 20 years.

Art and Ana then decided to leave California and move to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2003 after both of them retired from the military, and Art retired from the Metropolitan Water District.

After settling in Las Vegas, Art continued serving his community and was prominent in establishing the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Chapter 730, Henderson, Nevada, and served as the Commander for many years. He was also a member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). Helping veterans and assisting them to find the assistance they needed was a job he took seriously and proudly. He was also proud to say he was a friend of his wife’s group, Women Veterans of Nevada.

Art was known for his easy-going style, smile, kindness, and patience. A quality his wife says helped her immensely. He was a person who showed up for you when you needed him. Art’s strength and optimism were contagious and made people relax and feel comfortable around him. He was a man of deep faith and devotion. He loved football and hockey. His football team was the San Francisco 49ers, whom he switched to so he could root for the same team as his wife. He was also a fan of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Art enjoyed traveling to Cozad, Nebraska, to celebrate the yearly Hay Days Celebration held in September. He would be treated as a VIP, being a Cozad in the town of Cozad.

Art will be deeply missed by those who knew him and spent time with him.

A Military Honors Service and Committal will be held on Monday, 22 June 2026, at 10:00 AM at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City, Nevada 89005.