CARLSBAD, Calif. -- - Deke Houlgate, a longtime West Coast sports publicist whose clients included such auto racing greats as Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Richard Petty and Johnny Rutherford, has died. He was 91.
He died Sunday at his home in Carlsbad north of San Diego of COVID-19-related illness, son Greg said Thursday.
Houlgate began his career in sports after graduating from the University of Southern California in 1954. He started as a copy boy in the sports department at the Los Angeles Times, and later worked as a general assignment reporter and assistant director of special events at the newspaper.