Earl Raymond Lucke

Earl Raymond Lucke, formerly of Longmont, Colorado, died Friday, June 26, 2009 at Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, California. He was 87 years old.Earl was born August 13, 1921 in Walnut, Iowa, to Henry Herman and Amanda (Witt) Lucke. He moved with his family to the Kit Carson and Burlington, Colorado area as a young boy. He married Jacqueline Riedel on March 21, 1945, and they raised their family in the Boulder and Longmont area. The couple later divorced and he married Diana Blanche Agnew in Longmont on November 5, 1971.Mr. Lucke had worked for nearly 25 years as a mechanic for Edson Express trucking company of Longmont. Following his retirement in 1983, he enjoyed fishing, traveling, and cheering for the Denver Broncos. Earl enjoyed working with his hands and could often be found tinkering on a home improvement or woodworking project, or troubleshooting a neighbor's car troubles. Most of all, he cherished time spent with his grandchildren.Survivors include his son, John R. Lucke and wife, Cynthia, of Seattle, Washington; daughters, Katherine S. Napolitano and husband, John, of Riverside, California, and Antonia Walesky of Modesto, California; a sister, Ella Kalinowski of Arvada, Colorado; and four grandchildren, Christopher Napolitano, Jason Walesky and wife, Laura, Kaiti Walesky, and Benjamen Walesky.He was preceded in death by his wife, Diana Lucke in 2002; his parents; a son, Earl Thomas Lucke in 1986; four brothers, Harry, Ernest, Bill, and Ray Lucke; and four sisters, Martha Lucke, Tillie Pyle, Goldie Broam, and Sophia Pyle.Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at Howe Mortuary, Longmont. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 3 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Longmont. Burial will follow at Foothills Gardens of Memory. Memorial contributions may be made the Children's Museum of Denver, 2121 Children's Museum Drive, Denver, CO 80211 or The Colorado Parkinson Foundation, Inc., 1155 Kelly Johnson Blvd., Suite 111, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.Please share thoughts, memories and condolences with the family at www.howemortuary.com