Henry Lucke

Henry Alfred Lucke was born January 27, 1927, to Karl Lucke and Ernestina Carolina Albert. He attended the Thompson School in Lavaca County through the tenth grade and graduated from Hallettsville High School in May of 1944. In 1946, after a brief period of Army service, he enrolled at Southwest Texas State College in San Marcos. Before completing his degree, he took a position as the principal at the public school in Witting, Texas and also taught there, serving in those capacities until 1950. On May 28, 1950, he married Myrtle Hildebrandt of Witting, and that fall he and Myrtle began teaching at the public school in Moravia, Texas. They stayed in those positions until 1958. During his time at Moravia, Henry completed his Bachelor of Science degree from Southwest Texas State, graduating in 1954. In 1958, he and Myrtle took teaching positions at Blinn College in Brenham, beginning a career in college teaching that was to occupy them for the remainder of their employment years. In 1958, the former president of Blinn College, Tom Spencer, became president of the just-founded South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He invited Henry and Myrtle to become charter members of the faculty of South Plains, and in 1959, Hank and Myrtle moved to Levelland and taught there through 1968. During Hank's tenure at South Plains College, he was elected president of the Texas Junior College Teacher Association. In 1968, the son of Tom Spencer, also named Tom, became the first academic dean of newly-started Bee County College and offered Hank and Myrtle teaching positions and department chairmanships. Henry stayed at Bee County College from 1968, until his retirement in 1985. After his retirement, he continued to teach as an adjunct professor at several college and military bases. Henry's greatest avocational love was music. His love of music was deep and broad, and he filled his home with music of all kinds, from "classical" to country to big-band swing to Czech-American polka music! He was an ongoing participant in the choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Beeville and sang in it up to February of this year. Hank's faith was evident in his outlook on life, his compassion for others, and his active church life. A committed supporter of Faith Lutheran Church, in addition to his membership in the choir, he also served as a Communion assistant and participated in the men's group. Hank died peacefully on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at Methodist Texsan Hospital in San Antonio. He is survived by his wife, Myrtle; his sister, Carrie; his son, Mark and daughter-in-law, Valerie; his son, Paul and daughter-in-law, Elaine; his daughter, Ruth Lucke; five grandchildren, Mark's children, Jonathan, David and Barbara; and Paul's children, Claire and Caroline; and two great-grandchildren, Jonathan's son, Troy and daughter, Brooke. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, at Faith Lutheran Church in Beeville, Texas. Interment will follow at Evangelical Lutheran Church Witting Cemetery in Witting, Texas.