Jeffrey Kalista, a reserved 52-year-old Wisconsin man, indulged his one vice multiple times a year by visiting Las Vegas to gamble and place sports wagers, said his 58-year-old wife, Lynn Kalista. He often visited alone, but Lynn would usually accompany him once a year.
He also enjoyed hiking at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, she said. He went for a hike there on June 10 during his most recent solo trip to Southern Nevada.
Lynn Kalista didn’t hear from her husband for a few days and reported him missing Thursday. He usually called when he was losing money in Las Vegas but not if he was winning, she said, so she figured the latter was the case.
Kalista never made it home. His body was found on Friday on a hillside below a hiking trail in Lovell Canyon, the Clark County coroner’s office said. His cause and manner of death were not released as of Monday. Police don’t suspect foul play in his death.
Kalista was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where he lived a quiet life as a letter carrier for the Postal Service. Kathy Sadowski, 56, joked that her younger brother learned to keep to himself as the fourth child of six and the first boy among their siblings.