Designer of ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ Sign, Dies

The woman who came up with a neon sign that has welcomed countless visitors to "fabulous Las Vegas" since 1959 has died at the age of 91. Details here.

Betty Willis, credited with designing the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, died in her Overton, Nevada, home on Sunday, according to NBC Chicago. The 91-year-old artist's often-copied sign sits in a median in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard south of the Strip.

The welcome sign's design, which doesn't have a copyright owner, has become a fixture in travel. In 2009, the sign was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Betty Willis worked as a commercial artist in Los Angeles before returning to Las Vegas, where she worked for sign companies and designed the famous diamond-shaped beacon of flashing lights.

Willis also designed neon signs for the Moulin Rouge casino and Blue Angel motel in Las Vegas.