
Adelle L. Lucas
Adelle Lazarus Lucas, 81, formerly of Whitehall and widow of Boyce, died at Clark Retirement Village in Grand Rapids on Saturday, December 8, 2012. Born in Traverse City on July 7, 1931 to Maynard and Anna Aaron Lazarus, she was the second of three children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Boyce Lucas in 1995.
Adelle attended Traverse City schools, and then the University of Michigan, where she earned her bachelors’s degree and a teaching certificate. It was in a Spanish class at U of M that she met her future husband, Boyce Lucas, and they were married in Detroit in December of 1952. Following Boyce’s discharge from the service in 1956, they moved to Whitehall, where they made their home and raised four children. Their most cherished and enduring friendships were forged in the Whitehall community.
During the early years of her marriage, Adelle was a homemaker. She returned to the work force as a para-professional at Whitehall Elementary School. Following her retirement, she maintained her interest in education through volunteer work with a local literacy program.
Adelle loved music. She was an accomplished pianist, and her family was always happy to hear her run through her repertoire of beautiful classical pieces. Adelle inspired the love of classical music in all her children and each had music lessons while at school.
Adelle also enjoyed travel. She was an exchange student in Mexico during her last year at U of M. She and Boyce traveled with foreign-language class students to Spain and France, and they made a number of visits to Australia.
A prolific writer of poetry, Adelle gifted many of her friends and relatives with her creative works. She also baked a mean batch of brownies, and she was known to show up on friends’ doorsteps with a plate of them in hand. Her fondness for teddy bears grew into a noteworthy group of collectible bears. She became a confirmed dog lover in 2001 after adopting her Bichon, Buddy, from the Muskegon Humane Society.
Survivors include her children, Jeffrey (Belle) Lucas of Windsor, Colorado; Karen Steidler of Davis, California; Susan Lucas of Sydney, Australia; Pamela Lucas (Phil Ondersma) of Grand Rapids; her grandchildren, Aaron Lucas, Elysia Lucas, Olivia Steidler, Miranda Steidler, Meghan Steidler, Taylor Cornell, Travis Cornell, Lucas Cornell, Trevor (Kelly) Bullock, Michael Bullock, and Scott (Kyoko Kawase) Bullock; and many nieces and nephews.
Following her move three years ago to Clark Retirement in Grand Rapids, Adelle made a host of new friends, including companions Nancy Nielsen, Connie Rousseau, and Stacy Robinson, and the many staff members of the Clark community. The family would like to thank them all for their care.
Burial has taken place in a private service. A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Adelle will be held on Thursday, December 13, 2012, at 2:00 PM, at Clock Funeral Home of White Lake, 413 S. Mears Ave., Whitehall.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that those wishing to offer an expression of sympathy direct DONATIONS to Pound Buddies, 1300 E. Keating Ave., Muskegon 49442.
PRIVATE CONDOLENCES may be sent by visiting http://www.clockfuneralhomeofwl.com/.
CLOCK Funeral Home of White Lake
Whitehall
231-894-5676