Lois Tarkanian was born on April 28, 1934 to Josephine Agnes Hunter and Elmer Gustav Hunter. She married Jerry Tarkanian in 1966 in Fresno, California. Together, the couple moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1973. That same year, her late husband, Jerry Tarkanian, began his legendary career as UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball coach, a role that cemented their family’s place in the state’s history. Dr. Tarkanian served on the Clark County School Board and as a Las Vegas City Councilwoman, where she represented Ward 1 for over a decade.