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Liliam Lujan Hickey, former leader of Latin Chamber of Commerce and education champion, has died

LILIAM LUJAN HICKEY
Posted at 12:21 PM, Jun 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-12 03:16:17-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The former leader of the Latin Chamber of Commerce and a champion of education for Nevada has died.

Liliam Lujan Hickey died on Thursday at the age of 88.

She was the first Hispanic woman to be elected to the State Board of Education in 1998.

She also has an elementary school named after her.

Lujan Hickey was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1932.

She met her first husband when she was 16 and they wed soon after.

Enrique Lujan owned many casinos on the island. However, the family relocated to the United States when Castro assumed power in 1959.

Initially, the family lived in California. After a few years, Enrique found a job in Las Vegas. In 1972, Enrique died unexpectedly.

Lujan Hickey met state legislator Tom Hickey and married him in 1981. Within a few years, she also became active in politics and ran for the State Board of Education.

She was also involved in a wide variety of community organizations, including Catholic Charities.