Amy Arnaz was an American ballet dancer, dance teacher, children’s book author, and theater co-founder. She was born Amy Laura Bargiel in Chicago, Illinois, in 1951 and spent much of her adult life in Nevada. She is best known to the public as the second wife of Desi Arnaz Jr., the son of television legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. However, Amy built her own meaningful career outside of that connection.
She taught ballet for decades, helped establish a community theater in Boulder City, Nevada, and wrote a series of children’s books based on her daughter’s experiences as a young dancer. After fighting cancer, she died in January 2015.Amy Laura Bargiel was born on September 12, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois.She was 63 years old.
Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Amy Laura Bargiel (later Amy Arnaz) |
| Date of Birth | September 12, 1951 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Date of Death | January 23, 2015 |
| Place of Death | Boulder City, Nevada, USA |
| Age at Death | 63 |
| Parents | Charles Bargiel and Libby Kral Bargiel |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Ballet Dancer, Dance Teacher, Children’s Book Author, Theater Co-founder |
| First Husband | Gary Frederick Charf (married 1975, divorced 1979) |
| Second Husband | Desi Arnaz Jr. (married October 8, 1987) |
| Children | Haley Arnaz (b. December 17, 1976) |
| Notable Work | Boulder City Ballet Company; Little Haley Stories book series |
Early Life and Family Background
On September 12, 1951, Amy Laura Bargiel was born in Chicago, Illinois.She grew up in a family environment that supported her interests from an early age. Her parents were Charles Bargiel and Libby Kral Bargiel. Specific details about her siblings and the fuller structure of her childhood household are not widely documented in public records.
Her upbringing in Chicago placed her in a city with a rich arts and cultural community. This environment gave her early exposure to performance, music, and creative expression. Dance appears to have been a natural interest for her from childhood, and she pursued it seriously as she grew older.
She eventually relocated to the Las Vegas area of Nevada, which became her long-term home. It was there that she built both her personal and professional life across several decades. Boulder City, a small city near Las Vegas, became the community where she would make her most lasting contributions.
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Education and Early Interests
Amy’s formal training in dance is documented through her work with two respected figures in the field. She trained under Christina Carson and Sonja Arova, both of whom were recognized in the world of ballet. This professional-level training gave her the foundation she needed to perform and later to teach.
Her early interest in ballet was serious rather than casual. She committed to the craft as a young person and developed her skills to a level that allowed her to work professionally as a dancer in adulthood. This dedication to training shaped the rest of her career.
She also developed a passion for youth education through dance, which would become a defining part of her professional identity later in life. Her interest in helping young people learn and grow through ballet stayed with her throughout her career.
Career Beginnings
Amy entered her adult professional life as a ballet dancer and began performing and teaching in the Nevada area. Her early career was built through direct work with students in dance settings, and she developed a reputation as a skilled and dedicated instructor.
Before building her teaching career fully, she had already appeared in at least one public competitive setting. In 1970, she represented Las Vegas in the Miss Nevada competition, where she competed under the title “Miss Las Vegas.” This participation reflected her confidence and public presence as a young woman.
She also became connected to the New Life Foundation, a spiritual self-development organization in the Boulder City area that followed the teachings of writer Vernon Howard. This organization played a significant role in her personal life and in how she built relationships in the community.
Career Growth and Achievements
Amy’s most recognized professional achievements came through her work as a dance educator and community arts builder in Boulder City, Nevada. She spent many years teaching young dancers and helping them develop technical skill and personal confidence through ballet. Her students went on to perform in local productions, and her teaching reputation grew steadily over the years.
She co-founded the Boulder City Ballet Company, which became an important part of the local arts community. The organization gave young dancers in the Boulder City area the opportunity to perform in structured productions at a professional level. The ballet company became her most sustained contribution to the community where she had chosen to build her life.
Her husband, Desi Arnaz Jr., purchased a theater building in 1997 to support the work of the ballet company. This gave the organization a permanent home and helped expand what Amy and her collaborators were able to offer to students and audiences in the area. The Boulder Theatre became the venue through which many local dancers received their performance experience.
Amy also wrote a series of children’s books in collaboration with Ellen Dickstein. The series was called Little Haley Stories and was directly inspired by her daughter Haley’s experiences as a young ballet dancer. The books include titles such as The Magic Tutu, Juliana Cuddles, and Clara’s Nutcracker. Each story drew on real moments and feelings from Haley’s life, making the series personal and grounded in lived experience. The books gave Amy a creative outlet beyond teaching and allowed her to reach a broader audience of young readers and their families.She appeared in at least one documented television special. She was present at the 7th Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame Awards, which is listed in her IMDb profile.
Personal Life
Amy met her first husband, Gary Frederick Charf, through the New Life Foundation community in September 1975. The two married that same year. Their daughter, Haley, was born on December 17, 1976. Haley became the center of Amy’s personal life and a major influence on her professional work as well. Amy and Gary divorced in May 1979 when Haley was approximately two and a half years old.After her first marriage ended, Amy raised Haley largely on her own while continuing her dance career. Her connection to the New Life Foundation community in Boulder City gave her both a spiritual foundation and a social network during this period.
She and Desi Arnaz Jr., who was also a member of the New Life Foundation community, developed a relationship over time. They married on October 8, 1987, in a private ceremony. When Desi married Amy, he formally adopted Haley, making Haley a legal member of the Arnaz family. Through this adoption, Haley became the adopted granddaughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, two of the most recognized names in American television history.
Amy and Desi did not have any biological children together. Desi had a daughter, Julia Arnaz, from an earlier relationship, and the family’s extended connections included other members of the broader Arnaz family circle. Both Amy and Desi were followers of Vernon Howard’s teachings and also supported the work of spiritual writer Guy Finley throughout their marriage.Haley went on to follow her mother’s path in dance. She performed in productions staged by the Boulder City Ballet Company, including roles in The Nutcracker. She played the character of Clara and the Princess in the Land of Sweets in productions in 2006 and 2008.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Amy Arnaz’s personal net worth has not been officially documented. Her career was not in an industry where public financial records are commonly reported. Her income came from her work as a dance teacher, her contributions to the ballet company, and her children’s books.
Her lifestyle was modest and community-focused. She and Desi lived in Boulder City, Nevada, a small and quiet city very different from the Hollywood world associated with his family’s name. She was drawn to a life centered on spiritual practice, arts education, and family. Both she and Desi participated actively in the New Life Foundation and later in Guy Finley’s Life of Learning Center for Spiritual Discovery.She was not someone who sought fame or media attention. Her public footprint was small by choice, and she directed her energy toward teaching, writing, and maintaining strong community bonds in the place she called home.
Challenges
Amy Arnaz was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January 2013. She spent the next two years managing her health while continuing to be part of the community she had built in Boulder City. She fought the illness for approximately two years before passing away.
She died on January 23, 2015, in Boulder City, Nevada, at the age of 63. Her death came just four days after her husband Desi Arnaz Jr.’s 62nd birthday. The announcement of her passing was made on Facebook by a family friend named Jaime Vermeulen. According to those close to her, Amy faced her illness with strength and continued to be a source of warmth for those around her until the end.
After her death, the community of Boulder City held a memorial tribute for her at Bicentennial Park. On March 6, 2015, residents gathered to release pink balloons in her honor. This public gesture reflected the affection the community had for her and the impact she had made through her years of teaching and arts work.
FAQs
1. Who was Amy Arnaz?
Amy Arnaz, born Amy Laura Bargiel, was an American ballet dancer, dance instructor, children’s book author, and co-founder of the Boulder City Ballet Company in Nevada. She was also the second wife of Desi Arnaz Jr., the son of actress Lucille Ball and musician and actor Desi Arnaz.
2. When was Amy Arnaz born and when did she die?
She was born on September 12, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois. She passed away on January 23, 2015, in Boulder City, Nevada, at the age of 63, after a two-year battle with a brain tumor.
3. How did Amy Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. meet?
Both Amy and Desi Arnaz Jr. were members of the New Life Foundation, a spiritual organization in Boulder City, Nevada, based on the teachings of writer Vernon Howard. Their shared involvement in this community brought them together, and they eventually married on October 8, 1987.
4. Did Amy Arnaz have children?
She had one daughter, Haley, born on December 17, 1976, from her first marriage to Gary Frederick Charf. After Amy married Desi Arnaz Jr., he formally adopted Haley, who then became part of the Arnaz family. Amy and Desi did not have any biological children together.
5. What books did Amy Arnaz write?
She co-authored a children’s book series called the Little Haley Stories with collaborator Ellen Dickstein. The books were inspired by her daughter Haley’s experiences in ballet. Titles in the series include The Magic Tutu, Juliana Cuddles, and Clara’s Nutcracker.
6. What was Amy Arnaz’s connection to the Boulder Theatre?
Amy co-founded the Boulder City Ballet Company, a community arts organization that provided ballet training and performance opportunities for young dancers in Boulder City, Nevada. Her husband Desi Arnaz Jr. purchased the Boulder Theatre building in 1997 to provide the ballet company with a permanent performance home.
Conclusion
Amy Arnaz was a dancer, a teacher, a writer, and a steady presence in a small Nevada community for more than three decades. She trained seriously in ballet from a young age and turned that commitment into a career that helped many young dancers develop their skills. She built a theater company, wrote a book series for children, and created a home full of art and faith alongside her husband.
She became publicly known through her marriage to Desi Arnaz Jr. and through her connection to one of the most famous families in American entertainment history. But her own contributions were real and recognized in the community where she lived. She passed away in 2015 after a two-year battle with cancer, and the pink balloon memorial held in her honor by Boulder City residents reflected the genuine impact she had made. Amy Arnaz’s legacy is one of quiet dedication, personal warmth, and consistent creative work.
