Opportunity Village Champion, Kitty Rodman, Passes Away After Long Illness at Age 89
Long-time Las Vegas philanthropist and influencer passes away early Thursday morning
Early Thursday morning Opportunity Village’s greatest champion, beloved heroine and mentor, Kitty Rodman, passed away after a long fight with Parkinson’s Disease at age 89. Kitty had been the matriarch and hero of Opportunity Village since its inception in 1954. As one of Nevada’s most influential women and active philanthropist at Opportunity Village, Kitty was part of various projects at the foundation that will become a part of her legacy.
In April of 2000, the Kitty Rodman Center was erected built inside the Walters Family Campus and serves as the only Fine and Performing Arts center for people with intellectual disabilities in the country. She also provided the funds for the Oakey Job Discovery Food Training Program and the build out of the facility’s kitchen.
“I will miss my dear sweet friend Kitty, she was a second Mom to me. She was always there to provide wise counsel; I am at a loss. We have another angel on our side in heaven,” said Associate Executive Director of Opportunity Village, Linda Smith.
“I’m saddened by the news of Miss Kitty’s passing but stand in awe of the life she lived and the lives she touched. I’m always reminded that Kitty was a part of The Greatest Generation,” said long-time member of Opportunity Village’s Foundation Board, Tom Thomas.
She will be terribly missed, but her legacy will live on in the lives of every Opportunity Village staff and board member, OVIP and family.
About Opportunity Village
Mission: Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people within our community with significant intellectual disabilities, to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Opportunity Village was founded in 1954 by seven families who were determined to give their disabled children the best lives possible. Now, 60 years later, Opportunity Village is one of the most recognized and respected Community Rehabilitation Programs in the United States.
Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities, Opportunity Village serves nearly 3,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their lives more productive and interesting.
Opportunity Village OVIPs – individuals who were previously considered unemployable – work in jobs throughout the community and at Opportunity Village’s Employment Resource Centers, collectively earning wages amounting to more than $7.6 million in 2012. They are hard-working and diligent, proudly paying taxes and happily leading more engaged, fulfilling lives.
Primarily a self-funded organization, Opportunity Village generates the majority of its operational funding through its employment contracts and fundraising efforts such as the Magical Forest and Great Santa Run, saving Nevada taxpayers $33.7 million annually.
