JOHN EGGENWEILER

1920 - 2018

JOHN EGGENWEILER John R. Eggenweiler, Chief of Security of the original MGM and Bally's from 1972 until 1988, passed away April 28, 2018. He was born December 28, 1920. John was a resident of Las Vegas for 52 years, after having located here with the Howard Hughes Nevada Operations. Las Vegas is where he met and married the love of his life, Phyllis. John was born in Flagstaff, Arizona, to Rudolph John Eggenweiler and Grace Marion Nelson. His father worked as a carpenter on the construction of Northern Arizona University and moved his family to Los Angeles when construction was completed. There, John graduated from Abraham Lincoln High school in 1939. John continued on to Los Angeles City College, earning his Associates of Arts degree. In 1942, John joined the Los Angeles Police Department but took a leave of absence in order to serve his country in the U.S. Army. John was stationed in 63rd division 563rd Signal Air Warning battalion in France and Germany during World War II. He separated from the Army in 1946 and returned to the Las Angeles Police Department as a Detective with Central Burglary, Administrative Intelligence, accident investigation and West Los Angeles Detective and Burglary Division for 14 years. John served a total of 20 years for the police department, finally retiring August 17, 1962. Following John's retirement, he and his Los Angeles Police Department partner, Jack Hooper, purchased Bel Air Patrol in West Los Angeles, installing alarms and operating a private patrol for the residential area. During this time he was asked by Robert Mahew to do undercover work for his client, Howard Hughes. John traveled to Boston and other locations for Mr. Hughes and ultimately traveled by train with Howard Hughes to Las Vegas, where Hughes purchased hotels and other property. John and Jack were a part of Hughes' Nevada Operations until Hughes finally left Las Vegas. They then purchased Mercy Ambulance and a private security company, from John and Goldie Moran, which was later incorporated as Allied Security Company. Allied Security Inc. maintained security guards and patrols in Rancho Circle, Desert Inn Residential communities and other areas of Las Vegas, including the Bonanza Hotel and Casino on the strip. Allied Security was contacted by the Bonanza to employee security staff for its property. The demolishing of the Bonanza set in motion the groundbreaking for the original MGM April 15, 1972, where John was Chief of Security. The location eventually evolved into Bally's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino which John directed the security unit until his retirement in 1988. John Eggenweiler was highly-respected among his peers in the security industry and law enforcement as well as throughout the community. John was a member of Shriners International, Zelzah Shriners-Las Vegas, as well as a member of the Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Nevada and a Daylite Lodge No. 44 member for over 50 years. He was also a full member of the Scottish Rite and inducted as 32nd degree Mason. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; daughter, Jeanne (Ben) Finley of Huntington Beach, California; stepsons, David D. (Sharon) Johnson and John (Ana) Bertza, all of Las Vegas; grandchildren, Griffin (Melissa) Johnson of Wilsonville, Oregon, and Meredith (Kyle) Lierk of Omaha, Nebraska; and great-grandchildren, Alaina Sanbrano of Huntington Beach, California, and Ryker David Johnson of Wilsonville, Oregon. A special heartfelt thank you to the nurses, doctors and employees of Summerlin Hospital for the loving care and compassion given to John while in their care. A private memorial will be held by the family at a later date. The life stories and teachings John left us all will never be forgotten.