Obituary: Mary Louise Lucke, longtime East Bay teacher

To friends and family, Mary Louise Lucke’s life was a majestic work of art from start to finish. A renowned Bay Area painter and art instructor for 50 years and a dedicated special education teacher for nearly 40 years, Mary Lou’s legacy was celebrated in a private ceremony following her passing on April 22, 2017, a few weeks prior to her 79th birthday.

Mary Lou grew up as an Army brat. She was born in 1938 in Omaha to Colonel (Ret.) E.A. and Ruth Lucke and as a child lived in California, Rhode Island, Virginia, Missouri , New Mexico and Japan. After graduating from high school in Los Alamos, N.M., she earned a fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska.

In 1961, she worked as a schoolteacher for three years in South San Francisco and settled in Moraga in 1967, where she lived the remainder of her life. Mary Lou worked as a roving art teacher for in Moraga public schools and teaching art classes during summers. It was during that era when her unique artwork, mostly with batik and oils, became popular. She sold paintings to restaurants in San Francisco and Oakland, designed logos for companies, and was a calligrapher for special announcements and invitations. She also worked with ceramics, paper mache, acrylics and watercolor while being featured at art shows in the East Bay. Mary Lou once traded a painting for a sailboat.

Mary Lou had been a performer as well, starring in “South Pacific” while in college. She sang in choirs at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Moraga and Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, starred in an LOPC production of “Godspell” and sang on a mission trip to Alaska, all while working on a master’s degree in special education at St. Mary’s College.

After finishing the master’s, Mary Lou became a full-time special education team for Contra Costa County public schools in 1978. On the side, she established a monthly program in 1980 at LOPC called Reachin’ Out to help young people with autism and other developmental disabilities feel more comfortable out of the home. She ran the program for about 30 years, helping countless teens with special needs to combat loneliness, develop as communicators, build independence, and practice job skills. Reachin’ Out included talent shows, dances, field trips and, of course, art. The program helped dozens of young people secure customer service jobs at local stores and restaurants and function with confidence in the community. Mary Lou was particularly proud that program volunteers learned how to relate to teens with special needs and break down stigmas.

Mary Lou taught special education at many East Bay schools, including Wagner Ranch School, Park Mead, Foothill, Buena Vista, Crockett Elementary, Del Rey, and finally, Miramonte High School, where she completed her career. She held a “Summer in the Sun” day camp for special education students, incorporating art, sports and service projects. She volunteered for philanthropic groups, service groups and other nonprofits such as the Moraga Historical Society, the American Legion, and the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

Her sons will remember Mary Lou for her love of the outdoors as well. She loved to fish, backpack and play tennis. Several times she took Nicholas fishing off the Berkeley Pier or on a deep-sea excursion off the Golden Gate and Farallone Islands. She even won a small pot of cash for hauling one the biggest fish on one of the trips with Nicholas and his friends. As youngsters, Nicholas and Derek were exposed to a wide variety of international cultures and arts, ranging from opera, musicals, plays, dance and indigenous music.

Mary Lou Lucke is survived by: sons Nicholas (wife Carina), of Portland, Ore., and Derek, of Moraga; sisters Ruth Ann Swanton, of Tucson, Ariz., and Linda Owens, of Santa Cruz, Calif.; grandchildren Anita and Benjamin of Portland; and nieces and nephews Stephen, Mary Catherine, Paula, Gretchen and Matthew. A memorial service was held at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in June. The family recommends contributions in Mary Lou’s name to Hospice of the East Bay.