Luciano Antonio Lora

To Luciano Antonio Lora, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Luciano, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Luciano really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

His parents were Ramon Lora and Virtudes Moreno. Luciano was raised in Dominican Republic and New York. Even as a child, Luciano had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Luciano was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Luciano managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Luciano was raised with one sibling. He had an older sister Amelia.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Luciano was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Luciano simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Luciano, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was Luciano's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Luciano graduated from Saunders Trade and Technical High School in 1964. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was Technical Electricity.

Luciano never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Luciano to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Luciano delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Luciano was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Luciano utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. Later in life, he became friends with Raymond Cherrone. Luciano loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Luciano very easy to approach. On November 26, 1976 Luciano exchanged wedding vows with Gloria A. Rivera. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Luciano related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Luciano was blessed with seven children, five daughters, Valarie, Shara, Dawn, Alicia and Wanda and two sons Alfred and Luciano II. Luciano had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Luciano's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Luciano had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

Luciano was a Marine veteran. Luciano saw action for Vietnam. He achieved the rank of Private First Class.

Luciano felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Luciano loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Luciano relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Luciano never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Luciano was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball, basketball and hockey.

Luciano passed away on July 14, 2010 at his home. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; and children, Valarie Valentin of New York, Shara Moore of Las Vegas, Dawn Coyle of Las Vegas, Alicia Sheiner of Las Vegas, Wanda Lora of Virginia, Alfred Lora of Las Vegas, and Luciano Lora II of Las Vegas, and 18 grandchildren. Services were held at Southern Nevada Veterans' Memorial Chapel. Luciano was laid to rest at Southern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada.

Luciano brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Luciano Antonio Lora lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.