Wilbur Lucore

Wilbur Lucore was born nine miles north of Arriba, Colorado, at home, to A.B. Lucore and Bessie Switzer Lucore on October 12, 1928.  He attended a one room school house there through the 8th grade.  The family moved to Elizabeth, Colorado in 1944 where he met the love of his life, Joyce Skipton.  The high school sweethearts were married in 1948.  The first 10 years of their marriage were spent ranching and farming in the Elizabeth area.  They are parents of four daughters, Judy, Beth, Margie and Ethel and one son, Allan, who died in infancy.

In 1959 they moved to Denver where Wilbur was hired into engine service with the Denver and Rio Grand RR.  During these years Wilbur and his family built a cabin near Bailey, Colorado.  In 1972 he was promoted to Road Foreman and the family moved to Grand Junction.  He was promoted to Asst. Superintendent in 1980 and retired in 1988.

In addition to being a proud father, grandfather and great grandfather, Wilbur was active in the Redlands Lions Club, where he worked with the health Fair, the Kids Sight program and the holiday flag placement.  He served as president of the club and received the Lion of the Year award in 1995-96.  He was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellow award in 1996-97.

He was an active member of First Christian Church and served at different times as deacon and elder.  During his ten year ministry as property chairman he and the "First Street Construction Crew" remodeled most of the church and made it more handicapped accessible.  They also worked very hard on the church cabin at Glade Park so that families and youth groups of the church would have a place for retreats.

He and Joyce enjoyed travel and had been to all fifty states.  When the girls were young, the family took a road trip every summer.  After retirement they went to Israel and the Holy Land twice, and several other times to Europe, along with trips to the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.

He was embarrassingly proud of the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren, and said often that he had been waiting on women his whole life.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Bonnie Belle, brother Raymond, and Baby Allan.  Wilbur is survived by his devoted wife of nearly 68 years, Joyce, his brother Wayne, his sister, Naomi Lankford, daughters and sons-in-laws, Judy and Ken Fehringer, Beth and Greg Sherry, Margie and Mark Elliott, and Ethel and Russ Goebel.  In addition he is survived by ten grandchildren: Rachel, (Spencer), Erin,(Chad) Sarah, (Chris), Allison, (Matt), John, Andrew,(Tamara), Tyler,(Jen), Emma,(Griffin), Alex and Audrey, and 10 great grandchildren with another on the way.

The family was inspired by Wilbur's eternal optimism.  He taught them to love God, to love each other, and  work hard.  He will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O.Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014