Dr. Howard Charles Lucas

Dr. Howard Charles Lucas, 100, passed away peacefully at home on May 8, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Born May 7, 1924, in Lakeland, Florida, he was a student at Winter Haven High School and graduated from the University of Florida magna cum laude with a degree in chemistry in 1947. During World War II, he volunteered for the Army and served as a field medic with the 172nd general hospital in Shanghai, China. He graduated from Cornell University Medical College in 1951. At Cornell, he fell in love with Leone DeLelys. They were married in Rochester, New York on July 1, 1950. After completing a residency at Genesee Hospital in Rochester, New York, and three years of general practice in Winter Haven, Dr. Lucas completed an ophthalmology residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital with Columbia University.

In 1960, Dr. Lucas opened the first ophthalmology practice in Winter Haven, Florida. He continued his practice until 2020 when he retired at the age of 95. Throughout his 60-year medical career, he served the community by providing medical care and improving the vision of countless patients, even if they could not pay.

Dr. Lucas was an avid lifelong learner who encouraged the pursuit of higher education. A man ahead of his time, he stayed on the cusp of knowledge in medicine, technology, physics, agriculture, and many other academic pursuits. He was licensed as a twin-engine land and single-engine seaplane pilot and served on the board for Winter Haven Hospital. He enjoyed opera and theatre, beekeeping, and cultivating both citrus and avocado groves. He credited his longevity to a whole-food, plant-based diet. He frequently expressed his pride in his grandchildren, recounting how his diet helped him live longer to see all the great things they would accomplish.

Dr. Lucas is survived by his brother Dr. Roy Lucas; children Leora Lucas Wolf, Louise Lucas Volpe, Gordon Lucas (Debra), Howard Lucas, Jr. (Tammy); grandchildren Jillian Volpe-White (Artie), Robert Volpe (Lindsay), Jacob Wolf (Serena), Lucas Volpe (Morgan), Claire Wolf (Andrew), Lauren DeWitt (Ben), Joseph Volpe (Catherine), Adam Wolf (Maggie), Jenna Wall (Michael), Lindsey Lucas, Claudia Fann, and Rudi Fann; great-grandchildren Jack Wolf, Lainey DeWitt, and Dylann Fann; and nieces and nephews.

Services will take place at First Presbyterian Church in Winter Haven, Florida on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Donations can be made in memory of Dr. Howard Charles Lucas to the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.