Frank Andrew Lucas

Frank Andrew Lucas, 83,  died peacefully on March 31 at his daughter and son-in-law’s home in Carlsbad, CA. He was the son of Florence and Kurt Lucas who were longtime SB residents. Living in Santa Barbara for most of his adult years, he had affection for and knowledge about the city, and was happy to spend his later years in Montecito with his partner, Vonne McKeehan.

Frank was born on May 24, 1936, in Sioux City, Iowa, came to California in 1945, and in 1954 graduated from Hoover High School in San Diego.  During his late teens, he helped his father build a family house near the state college and found that he enjoyed developing carpentry and architectural skills, so much so that he decided to major in architectural drawing when he attended Cal Poly in 1955. The lure of hands-on building caused him to leave Cal Poly and begin his career by buying land and building homes in Morro Bay in the early years of its growth.

In 1960, Frank was married to Marian Rose (Richmond, CA), and in the same year he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu while working as a decoder. The couple then returned to Santa Barbara and Frank earned his General Contractor’s license. He was proud to serve for some time as president of the Building Industry Association, and built many homes in Santa Barbara as well as several local commercial developments. After his divorce in 1990, he continued to enjoy golfing at the Municipal Course and spending time with his family and friends.

During his semi-retirement, Frank and Vonne moved for short periods to Carpinteria, Las Vegas, and Brentwood in the Bay Area before returning to Santa Barbara to stay. They formed a happy family group with four Chihuahuas to care for, as well as to foster other dogs. For some years, Frank met his friends most mornings for coffee at Stackey’s café in Summerland.

Frank’s death leaves behind three children with his former wife, Marian: Cory Davis and Mike Lucas of Fresno, and Cathy (Doug) Partie of Carlsbad, plus seven grandchildren.  He also leaves sisters Nona (Bob) Jacobsen of Brentwood, and Deanna (George) Gregg of Santa Barbara and their families, and Vonne McKeehan, his partner of thirty years.

Any donation in Frank’s name to Hospice of the North Coast or to your favorite dog rescue organization would be greatly appreciated.