Donald C Lucas

Donald was born with Cerebral Palsy and attended Grout School for the Handicapped. After finishing school he worked for the Double “O” Workshop, which later, in 1955, became the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Workshop, until retiring in 1995. In his younger years, Donald enjoyed going to Camp Easter Seal. He loved fishing and going to the beach. Donald also enjoyed writing and was the editor of St. Anthony’s “Village Voices” newsletter.

Donald’s main transportation for many years was a three-wheel bicycle, which he rode to work and all around Portland. He loved his independence and found it difficult in later years to become more dependent on others. Several years ago he was able to get a scooter, which enabled him to get around easier. He loved riding his scooter to the park with his dog Molly. He could be seen on a warm sunny day reading a book at the park nearby, or on the grounds of St. Anthony’s where he always enjoyed the beautiful rose gardens in the summer. Donald was an avid reader and was always getting several books, as well as books on CD’s, when the mobile library came to St. Anthony’s once a month.

Probably Donald’s greatest love was music. He enjoyed going to concerts at the Apostolic Faith Church, as well as attending music events at St. Anthony’s. He has quite an extensive collection of CD’s, consisting of classical and religious music, as well as show tunes and songs from the 40’s.

Donald made friends with everyone at St. Anthony’s, and the staff and caretakers were very fond of him. They took great care of him, especially when his health began to fail and he needed more assistance. Although he had many struggles in his life, he rarely complained and always had a great sense of humor. Donald was an inspiration to his family and also to his “family” at St. Anthony’s. He is survived by his sister, Peggy Klein and her husband, Terry, and his nieces and their husbands, Teresa and Tony Minten, and Susan and Gary Cochran.

In lieu of flowers, Donald’s wishes were for contributions in his memory to go for a music activity at St. Anthony’s Village, 3560 SE 79th, Portland, OR 97206-2374. A Celebration of his Life will be held at Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 3720 SE 79th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, at 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, March 10th, 2011, reception to follow.

Arrangements under the direction of Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Portland, OR.