Bob Lucy

Bobby Joe Lucy (Bob) of Fort Smith, AR, passed into the Lords arms on 26 January 2019. He was 86 years old. Bob was born on 17 February 1932 in Little Rock, AR to Lester Byron "Charlie " Lucy (2 October 1900 - 17 October 2002) and Inez Marie Ashmore Lucy (29 March 1904 -18 June 1985).

Bob grew up in Little Rock. He remembers loving to fish and quail hunt with this father. In supporting the WWII effort, he remembers his parents’ Victory Garden. His father had purchased an empty lot down the street from where they lived and the entire lot was used for vegetables for the families of the neighborhood. In spite of the war, Bob remembers a fun childhood , when he even learned to dance “The Lindy” from his 17 year older brother, Ed. He graduated from Little Rock Tech High.

In December 1950, at 18 years old, he enlisted in the Marines and was sent to boot camp at Camp Pendleton. He was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, First Marine Division. During their short leave prior to shipping off for Korea, Bob and his buddy, Don Locks, took advantage of being in Oceanside and took the bus up to Los Angeles where they spent evenings at the famous Palladium enjoying the most famous big bands of the era including: Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. Dad and Don kept in touch until Don’s death in 2017.

Bob’s unit landed at Pohang-Dong in Korea on Feb. 17th 1951, his 19th birthday, and his first taste of battle came the next day when his company jumped off on Operation Killer, with their first objective to take the town of Hoengsong. Four weeks later, on March 15, his foxhole buddy and fire team leader, Joe Griffith, was Killed In Action, the first death of a close friend. Joe had been in Korea about three months and had taken Bob under his wing. Being without Joe, Bob ended up with the fire team and “a man short”. By April the platoon was so short of people, including the death of his sergeant, that Bob became Acting Sgt. and a Squad Leader. On 21 September 1951, Bob's company was the first combat unit ever to make a helicopter landing, with 228 Marines lifted by 12 Sikorsky S-55 helicopters. Bob’s memories of Korea remained clear all his life, even though he did not speak of them until late in life when urged by his children. One of Bob’s most vivid memories was the unbelievable bitter cold in Korea and how steep the mountains were which had to be climbed. The troops had not been adequately trained for the amount of physical exertion to march and climb in the extreme cold. The cold severely affected their feet; as their feet sweated, ice would form in their boots and they had to take their socks off and warm them under their arms to thaw out. Bob remembers one of his battles to “take a mountain” consisted of hand-to-hand bayonet combat. Dad said that he never hated the Chinese; they were only following orders of their own command. Of the original 40 men of his squadron, Bob was one of only eight who survived. Bob received a Purple Heart for being hit by shrapnel from a grenade, yet the award pales in comparison to his experiences of living through the battles.

After serving in Korea, Bob began a career with "The Telephone Company", Southwestern Bell, until his retirement in 1990. His first assignment was in Hot Springs where he was trained in every job, and dispatched to every little town, nook and cranny, throughout the state. In 1966 Bob transferred his family to Fort Smith. He was President of Southwestern Bell’s volunteer organization, The Pioneers. As one of his long term volunteer services, he repaired audio book tapes for the Smithsonian Institute for the blind. But he most enjoyed delivering Meals-On-Wheels.

Bob loved his daily routines which would not be complete without tackling The Times Record and Democrat Gazette every morning. He loved sausage and biscuits and topped his breakfast off with his homemade concoction of orange marmalade mixed with scotch. He called it Scotch-a-lade. In the evenings he swore that drinking one glass of red wine every day lowered his cholesterol by 50 points. He loved coaching Razorback Football from his couch and discussing the plays with his Sunday School team mates. He was extremely active and enjoyed working out in the yard for hours on end which resulted with him being awarded Mayor Ray Baker’s Orchid Award. And finally, one cannot think of Bob or Wanda without knowing their love for Hawaii. They made over 12 trips to the Hawaiian Islands. Bob discovered golf in his 40’s and primarily played at Fort Chaffee. He would play in the snow, he loved it so much. But nothing compares to playing golf in Hawaii, with his dear friend, Jon Fritchey.

Along with his parents, Bob is preceded in death by his wife, Wanda, in 2006; his grandson, Wil Lucy (1979- 2015); his sister, Ruth Lucy Burnett; and nephew, Steve Lucy. He is survived by his children and their spouses: Tony Lucy and wife Joan of Madison Heights, VA; Stephen Sparks of Fort Smith, Kathyn Sparks of Bentonville; his daughter, Cindy Sparks Kenna and husband Chris Kenna of Fort Smith; his grandchildren: Courtney Sparks, Stephen Samuel Sparks, and Brian Kenna; one great granddaughter, Bellamy Sparks. He is also survived by his brother, Clarence Edward Lucy; and his niece, Barbara Stallings of Wilmington, NC; his niece, Cheryl Burnett Baird of Nashville, TN; and his niece in-law, Vicki Green Lucy of Ozark, MO. He is also survived by John Kukar of Fort Smith and Jane Kenderdine and family of Palestine, TX, and friends who are considered his extended family: Jon and Tiffany Fritchey, Cheryl Pedersen, Debi Mendoza, and his care giver, Angela Stephens.

Bob was a member of First United Methodist Church, and the Fellowship and Uplifters Sunday School Classes.

A Viewing will be held at 5:00-7:00 on Thursday, 31 January 2019 at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N. 12th Street in Fort Smith, AR. Funerall service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, 1 February 2019 in Roebuck Chapel at First United Methodist Church, 200 North 15th Street in Fort Smith. A burial service with military honors will follow at the U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Tony Lucy, Stephen Sparks, Chris Kenna, Brian Kenna, Sam Sparks and Jon Fritchey.

Memorial gifts may be made to the charity of your choice.

To place online tributes, visit www.edwardsfuneralhome.com