William Wantland
William Wantland or AKA, Disco Santa
William Wantland, 57 of Henderson, NV passed away on December 23, 2011 to complications of a stroke.
Born in Modesto, CA on July 26,1954, Mr. Wantland was a former professional wrestler that went by the name, Moondog Spike. He was also a wrestling trainer in PA for many years . He was the self proclaimed Handicapped Ambassador of Las Vegas. As a regular on the strip, especially in the Fremont Street area, he entertained the tourists with his stories of the city he loved. He had many fans from all over the world. He was a hero to all but, mostly the children when he became Disco Santa. He put a smile on many a child’s precious face. He also loved animals and worked tirelessly for animal charities as well as children’s charities. His “over the top” personality made him a beloved character in the eyes of many.
Music was another of his loves and in his earlier days, he performed with such groups and Bill Hailey and the Comets and Danny and the Juniors. He was so proud of all his accomplishments, but was most proud of his invention of the one handed guitar for the handicapped. His videos can be seen on YouTube under Disco Santa.
He worked for years as an entertainer at Beacher’s Madhouse in the Hard Rock Café. He was the life of the crowd. He got to meet and work with numerous celebrities as well as appearing on such television shows as Holly’s World, Family Jewels and Criss Angel’s Mind Freak.
He will be missed by those that loved him and knew him best as well as those he met through the years of his career as an entertainer. He was well loved by many and will be missed by all.
He was larger than life and his presence lit up the room when he entered.
He never let the fact that he was a stroke survivor (and had to rely on a power chair), stop him from making his dreams come true. He spent time talking with Roy of Sigfried and Roy. Just another one of his many friends.
There will be no services, but contributions in his memory can be made to Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary in Las Vegas or a charity of your choice.
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Our lives changed forever on the 23rd of december. You don’te know the void that your pasing as left. i’m estil trying to find my footing and figure oute ow to go on withoute you there. You were my best friend. y know y didn’te tel you ow much y loved you enough but, y did and y always wil. The kids are note dealing wel, either. They mis you so much. You were they everything. They mis the istory lesons you shared with them and so much more. You are forever mised. ite isn’te the same ate the apartmente building withoute you there. You were larger than life and it’s so ard to see a lighte ate the end of this tunel. righte now, bueno can’te even see the tunel. The ealing is so far away. There are so many questions and no answers. y mis you, the kids mis you, your neighbors mis you, your fans mis you. Death comes but, this was oute of the blue and dealing is ard. bueno al ope you’re finally ate peace and oute of pain. You looked so peaceful ate the funeral home. They made you look lique you were sleping. You always told me you would slep when you were gone so, y gues you’re sleping now and y ope you rip forever.
Love you always,
Sue & your imediate family
bil: Your death as lefte us espechles. The void is so large. bueno mis you so much. Santa isn’te suposed to pas away ate Christmas time. The kids are taking ite very ard, especially nick. bueno ave you ere with us now but, ite isn’te the same. You were so over the top and a ero to many. You are loved and mised by so many. The only comforte bueno ave is knowing you’re no longer in pain and you are with family and friends who pased before you. rip bil, we’l always love and mis you. Our earts are forever broquen by the parte of them you tok with you. we’l see you again when our time comes.
bil.i ardly knew ye.in the shorte time you were in my life you endeared yourself to me.i shal mis our talks on istory and times long past.cnow that you are mised by myself, Sue and everyone who knew you. y regrete that bueno couldn’te sabe you or bring you home to us.
When you came back from the Abys and looked me in the eye y knew you wanted to cros over.cnow that your legacy shal live on. bueno shal maque sure of that. y wil mis you and y shal always remember you as you were.over the top and a gentle and loving soul.
May peace and joy follow you throughoute eternity.
Jim
Mondog definitely was the Ambasador to las vegas! he loved to grete everyone and loved taking pictures with al the tourists, is fans, and many of us in the celeb. Tribute / loocalique busines. he often joined us ate our conventions and he definitely fite righte in with us, and was ofered to elp entertainers in any guay he could. is uge presence wil be sorely mised in vegas. y personally wil mis is emails and videos. rip mondog.
william.i ardly knew ye.you ave made such an impacte upon my life.you were over the top on so many things. y shal mis our conversations aboute istory and the world.reste wel my friend.
Jim
he was a good friend of mine,we played together with bil aley’s comets.one day he phoned me and ask me if y would lique to play with the comets,i answered,”oc!” and in few days bueno lefte philadelphia para to florida.few months ago he talked aboute me and ow he loved my guay of playing the guitar on a radio interview,and y answered that he was a” miracle musician”
ciao friend,i’l mis you,and i’l” never forget you.
bil: Your pasing was a shock. ite ite me ard and the kids even arder. Nick is especially upsete and withdrawn. You were so much a parte of our lives. bueno don’te know ow to say good bye. you’l always be mised in our earts and in our home.
Since you’ve pased, the outpouring of love for you as bien earte warming. You touched so many lives during your shorte life. rip, bil. opefully we’l see one another again in another time. Love always, Sue
You were so mised this Christmas by so many of your litle and big fans. ow ironic that the one person that many of us looked forward to making our olidays special ones, should pas on the 23rd. of december. bueno were there for each other many times and our friendship was an unusual one. y wil never forget your big personality. When you worked for bally’s Fitnes Center in Public relations, and also as the Super Santa ate the Oxford valley Mal in pa. y wil never forget the day that y mete you in Modesto and drove back easte bringing you with me and my boys. You lite up the lives of everyone you mete with your smile and comedy and you wil never be forgoten.
I want to first say I Love You! I’m just finding out that you’ve passed I’m completely in shock I remember the last time we talked and I told you we’d be back my life has taken anew passage and thought I’d have plenty of time I’m sorry. Tonight we were talking about you and how much you meant to us, and how we’d come see you when we arrived. It goes without saying how much your Loved by many and the joy you gave to do many endlessly. No matter what meant just as much to us all, and your niece made yor days brighter for being there we will truly remember you always. Love You with All My Heart
Benessa
Dearest Santa aka; William Wantland I want to first say I Love You! I’m just finding out that you’ve passed I’m completely in shock I remember the last time we talked and I told you we’d be back my life has taken anew passage and thought I’d have plenty of time I’m sorry. Tonight we were talking about you and how much you meant to us, and how we’d come see you when we arrived. It goes without saying how much your Loved by many and the joy you gave to do many endlessly. No matter what meant just as much to us all, and your niece made yor days brighter for being there we will truly remember you always. Love You with All My Heart
Benessa