Lonnie Hammargren
31st Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
In office
January 2, 1995 – January 4, 1999
GovernorBob Miller
Preceded bySue Wagner
Succeeded byLorraine Hunt
Member of the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education
In office
1988–1994
Personal details
Born
Lonnie Lee Hammargren

(1937-12-25)December 25, 1937
Harris, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJune 13, 2023(2023-06-13) (aged 85)
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Sandy
​
(m. 1989)​
ProfessionNeurosurgeon

Lonnie Lee Hammargren (December 25, 1937 – June 13, 2023) was an American politician and neurosurgeon. He was elected a member of the non-partisan board of regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education, an office he held from 1988 to 1994; he was the 31st lieutenant governor of Nevada, serving from 1995 to 1999 as a member of the Republican Party. As of 2022, he is the most recent Nevada lieutenant governor to have served under a governor from the opposing party, having served with Democrat Bob Miller.

Hammargren was also known for his "eclectic collection of artifacts, including old casino signs, and an Apollo space capsule".[1]

Career

Medical career

Hammargren was a neurosurgeon who was first licensed in 1971 as the first neurosurgeon in the state of Nevada.[2][3] He spent several years as a NASA flight surgeon. He also operated on boxer Duk Koo Kim in November 1982, following Kim's loss to Ray Mancini; Kim died as a result of his injuries in the fight.[4]

Following Roy Horn's near-fatal tiger attack in 2003, Hammargren spoke up to correct misinformation in the press about the procedure Horn (of Siegfried & Roy) had received.[5] Hammargren has collected some of the skulls and brains of his former patients.[6]

According to Hammargren, he gave up surgery in 2005, when the cost for his malpractice insurance was raised to $275,000/year; in 2009, as part of a medical malpractice settlement, he agreed to give up surgery permanently, though he retained his medical license.[3] Hammargren's Nevada medical license expired in 2017. According to the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, Hammargren had 4 medical malpractice judgments against him that were $5,000 or more each.[7]

Political career

From 1988 to 1994,[8] Hammargren was a member of the board of regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education.[3]

Hammargren was the lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1995 to 1999. He lost his election bid in the primaries for that office again in 2006.[9]

As of 2008, Hammargren was the honorary consul for Belize.[10]

Personal life

Hammargren's Las Vegas home in 1980

Hammargren built his house, Castillo del Sol, in 1969, which he filled with various artifacts relating to Las Vegas history, and regularly opened it to public tours.[11] Among his acquisitions were the High Roller roller coaster from the Stratosphere. His home has been featured on the Travel Channel's show Vegas VIP Homes.[12] His collections eventually occupied two neighboring houses as well.[13] In 2016, Hammargren and his collections were featured on an episode of the A&E series Hoarders. In the episode, it was revealed Hammargren had spent an estimated $10 million acquiring the artifacts and was $750,000 in debt. He sold some items at auction for a net gain of slightly over $4,000, which he planned to use to write his autobiography.[14]

Hammargren married his wife Sandy in 1989, an event which in part was filmed for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.[15]

On March 31, 2007, Hammargren held an "Awake Wake" for himself, in which he had a mock funeral service, a New Orleans style Jazz Funeral March back to his house, and buried himself in a sarcophagus in the Egyptian tomb in his garage. He emerged an hour later.[16] In 2008, he began building a replica Orion spacecraft to add to the collection.[10]

Hammargren died on June 13, 2023, at the age of 85 from a subdural hematoma, complications from dementia and heart disease. [13][17]

References

  1. ↑ Ryan, Cy (July 29, 2009). "Ex-pol Agrees to Settle Malpractice Complaint". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Lonnie/Linda". Hoarders. Season 9. Episode ONE. A&E.
  3. 1 2 3 Ryan, Cy (August 6, 2009). "Ex-Lieutenant Governor Has Performed His Last Surgery, per Settlement". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  4. ↑ Carp, Steve (September 26, 2008). "'It Was a Brutal Fight'". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2012. Kim was carried out of the ring by stretcher and rushed to Desert Springs Hospital. He was quickly prepared for surgery, and neurosurgeon Dr. Lonnie Hammargren removed a blood clot that had lodged in his brain.
  5. ↑ "Doctors Removed Portion of Roy's Skull". USA Today. Associated Press. October 16, 2003. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Lonnie/Linda". Hoarders. Season 9. Episode ONE. A&E.
  7. ↑ "Lonnie Lee HAMMARGREN". Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ Lake, Richard (June 3, 2012). "2012 Primary Election - Board of Regents District 12". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ "2006 Lt. Gubernatorial Republican Primary Election Results - Nevada". Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  10. 1 2 O'Reiley, Tim (September 21, 2008). "Working Locally at Trading Globally". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
  11. ↑ Green, Michael S.; Elan Penn (2006). Las Vegas: A Pictorial Celebration. Penn Publishing. ISBN 1-4027-2385-7.
  12. ↑ "'Ripley's Believe It or Not' takes over Fremont Street Experience". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 17, 2002. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  13. 1 2 Hynes, Mary (June 14, 2023). "Lonnie Hammargren dies, was Nevada's former lieutenant governor". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Lonnie/Linda". Hoarders. Season 9. Episode ONE. A&E.
  15. ↑ Taylor, F. Andrew (October 25, 2011). "Celebrate Nevada Day with a Trip to Hammargren Home". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012. Renee returned to the tank and reprised her act sans dolphin for Lonnie and Sandy Hammargren's wedding 22 years ago, which was filmed for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
  16. ↑ "The Awake Wake". argentiero.com. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
  17. ↑ Lilly, Caitlin (June 14, 2023). "Lonnie Hammargren, eccentric former Nevada Lt. governor, dies at age 85". KVVU. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
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