Mary Jane Lucas

Mary Jane Lucas passed away on February 14 at 7:10 p.m. in St. Anne Center. She spent many years bravely fighting a number of serious illnesses. Mary was born to Pearl Williamson Lucas and Ralph Lucas on July 7, 1936, in Galesburg, Illinois. She graduated from Knox College in 1958 with a B.A. degree with a double major in art and music. She completed an M.A. degree from the University of Iowa in 1959 and a M.M. degree from Northern Illinois University in 1969. Mary was an accomplished violinist and played in the DuPage Symphony for over 25 years. She was an art teacher for two years in Newton, Iowa, before she returned to Illinois as an Art Consultant in the East Aurora Public Schools. After six years in that position she became a Strings Instrumental Music Teacher and Director of the Orchestra of District 41, Glen Ellyn Schools. She retired from that position in 1994 and moved to Rockford where she became active in a number of organizations: The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Zeta Chapter; Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women; Rockford Chapter, Lyric Opera of Chicago; P.E.O. Chapter V; and Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, Rockford. She had leadership roles in all of these organizations. Mary received the "Those Who Excel" Education Award from District 41, Glen Ellyn, and a Lambda State Achievement Award for service on the chapter, state, regional and international levels in The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. She chaired the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center competition for music students for several years and served on the Board of Directors. She enjoyed flower gardening which she finally had the time and space to do after moving to Rockford, travel (Japan, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, Bermuda, Mexico, and most of the states in the United States), art, playing her violin, attending Rockford Symphony concerts, attending operas at Lyric Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera and opera wherever she traveledand playing golf. She was a member of St. Mark Lutheran Church where she sang in the choir for a number of years. Upon Marys retirement, Timothy Botts, wellknown calligrapher, the father of one of her violin students, did one of his pieces for her reading, "The song is ended but the melody lingers on." It was presented to her by the District 41 Music Education Foundation Parents and Students for 25 years of dedication and service to the music students of District 41. The melody lingers on for those who knew and loved her. The song is not ended but continues on in the lives of all of her former string players, especially those who also became music teachers. What a fantastic junior high orchestra she could put together year after year! Her students always did well in competitions. Her students were her life! Mary is survived by her niece, Sarah Maple, of Palatine, grandnieces Amy Maple and Jennifer Maple (Joseph) Loiacono, brotherinlaw Donald Reed of Barrington and longtime friend, Dr. Ruth Ann Wasson of Rockford with whom she resided since retiring in 1994. She was predeceased by her parents, Pearl and Ralph Lucas, sisters Martha Lucas Reed and Sara Lucas. As per Mary'¢s wishes, there will be no immediate memorial service and her cremains will be scattered. A Ceremony of Remembrance and Celebration of Mary'¢s Life will be held for family and friends on her birthday, July 7, at home in the flower gardens and back yard she so loved. Her wish was that she be remembered in the time and in the context that her friends and family knew her engaged in her work, in family gatherings, in her organizations, in her travels and in living life to the fullest. Appreciation is expressed to all of the wonderful staff at St. Anne Center for the excellent care she received since December of 2010. In her final days, everyone she had contact with during the time she had been there stopped by multiple times to see how she was doing, not out of a sense of duty but with genuine affection for the Mary they came to know. Mary was so grateful for the kind and excellent professional care she received from the many doctors who were treating her since she moved to Rockford, especially Dr. Shipp, Dr. Cummins, and Dr. Bielkus. Memorials may be sent to St. Mark Lutheran Church, Zeta Chapter of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, P.E.O. Chapter V, Sigma Alpha Iota or Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory assisted the family.