Pahrump Special Olympics founder passes

Audrey Gourley, the founder of Special Olympics in Pahrump, passed away on Sept 22. Gourley was a pioneer for Special Olympics and established it in Pahrump in 2000. She was born Sept. 12, 1936. Gourley is survived by her husband Frank, sons, Tony, Patrick and Frank Jr. and one daughter Nadine.

Jim Soltz, the current and third director of Pahrump Valley Special Olympics, said Gourley will be missed and she was like family.

“It got started out here because the parents were talking about how they had nothing to do,” Soltz said. “So Frank and her said why don’t we get together in the park and start doing things. Unofficially, they started having activities in the park for their children and this turned into Special Olympics. Many of the parents lived in Vegas and were part of Special Olympics there and they helped out.”

Soltz said Gourley was a tireless person.

“There is always someone special looking after the athletes and getting them from one place to another; she was that special person. She is the one that got the bocce ball courts set up at Ian Deutch Park. Before that they would just set up ribbons and throw the balls. She also got the bowling ball program going. It would really make me happy if I could have them name the bocce ball courts after her. Audrey and Frank were a team and they are super folks,” he said.

Kay Jones was the second director of Special Olympics in Pahrump and took over the program after Gourley retired in 2007.

“Audrey was a wonderful person and a good friend,” Jones said. “I had been staying with her and was there when she passed away. She was a strong supporter of Special Olympics. She backed everything and did all the leg work in Las Vegas to get it started out here. Frank, her husband, was the hard worker behind the scenes. He is really sick now and is in a hospital. He won’t even be able to come out for the funeral. She was there for the kids and for the parents. She did a tremendous job.”

Nadine is taking care of her mother’s affairs, but lives in Colorado Springs. She said since her mother’s passing her father has not improved much. The two had been married for 61 years.

Audrey was involved with Special Olympics for 29 years. When she came here from Illinois, Nadine said there was nothing set up out here for her brother Tony.

“She worked tirelessly to start a program here. I still wish there were more options for my brother here in Pahrump,” she said. “My mother had a heart of gold. She never complained. She fought hard to get Special Olympics off the ground. She would just start talking to people about Special Olympics and she would put notices up in laundromats.”

Nadine said her mother was her best friend and she will miss her dearly. She recalled one of her fondest memories happened a few years back when the two of them decided to have a girls’ night out on the town.

“I came to visit her and we went out to Las Vegas and we stayed at Treasure Island. We then went out on the town and watched the female impersonators. We had a great time and she actually thought it was a great show. My mom was pretty cool,” Nadine said fondly.

Nadine said the family had to wait on the funeral services because of some family complications that pushed the service back.

“I waited to see if my daughter’s baby was well enough to travel. Also we waited for my father, Frank, who is still fighting for his life in the hospital,” she said.

Audrey’s service will be on Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m., at Pahrump Family Mortuary. For more information contact Nadine at 775-751-3431.