Dr. Melvin J. Bagley

Melvin (aka “Mel”, “Heller” and “Doc”) was born in Green River, Wyoming on January 1, 1924 to Hawley and Adelila Hogensen Bagley. The third of five children, he grew up in a loving, musical and multi-talented family. At the age of 18 he entered the military where he in the Navy during World War II in the South Pacific. He thereafter married the beautiful Barbara Gibson, who he met while attending the University of Utah. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Los Angeles College of Optometry in 1955. With good judgment and foresight, Mel decided to establish his practice in Henderson, Nevada, becoming Henderson’s first optometrist. His marriage to Barbara produced four daughters in a three-year time span. During the 60’s and 70’s Melvin personally built the family home on the Black Mountain Country Club, his optometry office on Lake Mead Drive and their summer home in Pinedale (the - - A, named after his wife Barbara). He served on the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and was a Founding Member of the Black Mountain Country Club. Without wasting a moment of any day, Mel also was a single-handicap golfer, a painter, a piano player (by ear) and a fisherman. He loved hosting parties and playing clever games and contests he originated. Traveling in a wood-paneled station wagon, he also took the family on memorable vacations throughout the west every summer. A true visionary seeing the potential for growth of the Las Vegas Valley, Mel purchased and independently developed the Calico Ridge Subdivision in Henderson. He later established several custom home subdivisions in his beloved Pinedale. Doc practiced optometry until 1998 and proceeded to travel throughout the world and write books. Five of these books were published. The Bagley family was blessed to have such a unique, fun-loving and motivating father and grandfather.

Dr. Bagley is survived by his four daughters: Nancy McGuire (Pat), of Pinedale, Mari Bochanis (Chris Cookson), of Henderson and Pinedale, Hawley (Rob) Doyle of Pinedale, and Bobbi (Dr. Jerry) Hendricks of Henderson; grandchildren Parris Crooks, Jessica (Joe) Stull of Henderson, Athena Bochanis, Andrew (Dana) McGuire, Hannah (Cody) McKinney, Jeri (Clayton) Melinkovich, Theo Bochanis, Calli Adamson, Aris Bochanis, Jaylin Hendricks and Gabriel Hendricks; great-grandchildren, Roxanne and Portia Melinkovich; sister Jeanne (LeRon) Low of Coaldale, Alberta, Canada, and numerous adoring nieces and nephews. He is also survived by, and his family is forever grateful to, his loving care-giver for the past six years, Maria (May) Holland.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, parents, his brothers Allan and Gerald (“Jiggs”) and sister-in-law June Bagley, sister A. Marie Bagley; and granddaughter, Hayley Hendricks.

Services will be held Saturday, September 12th at Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary, at 11 a.m. A visitation will be held on Friday, September 11th from 4-7 p.m. A celebration of life will be held after the service at the Black Mountain Country Club in Henderson.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary, Henderson, NV.