Joseph Lucas Conklin
Joseph Lucas Conklin, known to family and friends as Luke, passed away peacefully from brain cancer on May 12, 2025. He spent his 48 years living life to the fullest – wholeheartedly loving his children, Jack and Finley, and adoring wife, Hilary; creating a successful career doing what made him happy and with people that were more like family than friends; and pushing his body to its athletic limits. If Luke was going to do something, he did it to the best of his ability – and it showed. He wouldn’t rest until the job was done right!
Raised by his parents Hal Conklin (former Santa Barbara Mayor and Councilmember) and Barbara Browne, and with brothers Nate and Zach by his side, Luke grew up in Santa Barbara, California spending far too many hours harassing seagulls at the beach and playing video games at Deano’s pizza. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1994, and in 2000 obtained a Film Studies degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1999, Luke met his future bride while she was vacationing in his hometown – they locked eyes and there was no going back.
Luke’s career ambitions took him to Los Angeles where he pursued a career in entertainment. His hometown friends jokingly called him “Hollywood”. Through hard work, determination, a competitive spirit, and a ton of charisma he achieved his Hollywood dreams and established a well-respected career in Reality Casting. His career successes include Major Network game shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck, Password, Beat Shazam, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Deal or No Deal, and Food Network shows such as the Baking Championships and Guy’s Grocery Games, and many, many more.
More successful than his career was his role as a father. He was his son’s biggest fan at his races and recitals, and his daughter’s adventure-making muscle, ensuring that no matter what the adventure, his daughter with disabilities could be included in the fun despite many places having limited wheelchair accessibility. From the Lincoln Memorial to the Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica, there wasn’t a hill, stairway, or bridge he wouldn’t cross with her or her equipment, and sometimes both, in his arms.
Influenced by his time at the Free Methodist Church and study abroad in Asia, when Luke wasn’t working he was passionate about travel and the great outdoors. Luke was an avid hiker, competitive trail runner, mountain biker, and Assistant Coach on Jack’s mountain biking team.
Echoing his mother-in-law (and Hunter S. Thompson), Luke did not live life with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather skidded in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!’
Luke, your passing has left a big hole in our hearts and in this world, and you will be missed more than you’ll ever know. You can rest now, the job was done right.
