H. Jay Ulis; Past Honorary Van Nuys Mayor

H. Jay Ulis, a former vaudeville performer and past honorary mayor of Van Nuys, has died at a hospital in Yountville, Calif. He was 98.

A former Van Nuys resident, Ulis died Jan. 15 of complications of his age, said his niece, Joan Dreyfuss.

Born in Russia, Ulis came to the United States when he was a child. He quit high school to travel the country performing vaudeville with his brother, Al. After serving in the U. S. Army during World War I, Ulis performed vaudeville acts with Minerva Clark, whom he later married. In the late 1930s, the couple came to Los Angeles, where they had a radio show and acted in short feature films. Ulis & Clark toured the United States and Europe with the USO during World War II. After the war, Ulis opened an insurance agency in Van Nuys, which he operated until the late 1970s.

Ulis served several years during the 1950s as the honorary mayor of Van Nuys.

He was a member of the American Legion, the Masons, the Elks and the Shrine organization.

In addition to his niece, Ulis is survived by his sister, Catherine Cohen of Miami, and two other nieces.

A funeral, with full military honors, was held Monday at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills. Groman-Eden Mortuary handled the arrangements.