MSG John H. Lucas, US Army (Retired), age 92, peacefully entered eternal life on January 23, 2025. John was a devout Roman Catholic Christian and a Korean War veteran. He was a man of quiet dignity, great strength, profound faith in God, and deep love for us.

Although John was a man of few words, people often sought his advice and listened attentively when he spoke, because John possessed great wisdom and insight. He was also very intuitive and a great judge of character. Upon meeting you, John could size you up almost instantly, but not in a judgmental way. He just immediately and instinctively knew what kind of person you were.

He was quiet and reserved, but John also knew how to enjoy himself, whether he was fishing; skillfully playing cards or picking horses; listening to jazz and R&B music, while sipping a Johnny Walker Black scotch and water on the rocks; or rooting for his beloved Eagles football team. Occasionally, he would break his silence with a dry joke or insightful comment. One of John’s favorite sayings was, “When you climb the latter of success, you meet the same people on the way down that you met on the way up.”

John was an amazing man, but very humble. It was like pulling teeth to get him to tell you anything about his many accomplishments. When you did manage to drag any of the details out of him and tried to express your admiration for his genuinely impressive achievements, John would wave his hand dismissively and say, “I was just in the right place at the right time.”

We love John and we miss him; and we find comfort in knowing that he is with God, and that someday we will be joyfully reunited with him.

John is survived by his wife Pat; daughters Linda (Cliff) and Judy; stepdaughter Amy; stepson Matthew; granddaughters Sonya, Alicia and Madison; grandsons Bobby (Samet), Johnny (Taysha), Steven and Marcus; five great-grandchildren and one on the way; sister Mamie; brother James (Judy); a large extended family; and best friend Lovett (Norma). He was predeceased by his parents John R. and Mamie; first wife Rita; infant son John Avery; sister Pokie; brother Billy; and close friend Maurice.

Rite of Committal with Military Honors, Rev. Peter Creed presiding, will be Friday, April 11, 2025, 1:00 PM at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to children’s hospitals (St. Jude, CHKD) or to veterans organizations (DAV, WWP).