Richard J. Luckay

May 20, 1930 - July 21, 2021

Richard Joseph Luckay died July 21, 2021, Columbus, Ohio. He was born May 20, 1930 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Collingwood High School where he was student manager for multiple sports teams and elected president of his senior class. He received a degree in Communicative Arts from The Ohio State University in 1952, and was Woody Hayes’ first senior student football manager in 1951. Major Luckay was a twenty-year U.S. Air Force Command Pilot with over six thousand hours of flying time, including 97 combat missions in SouthEast Asia. He served two years (1968-70) as Air Attache in Kabul, Afghanistan. He entered private business in 1974 and became president of a corporation he successfully transformed from bankruptcy to a multi-million dollar operation. Later, he became a Customer Service Representative for the U.S. Postal Service, generating ninety-five million dollars of postal revenue annually. Upon full retirement he taped books and hosted a Duty, Honor, Country program interviewing military personnel for the VOICEcorps reading service for the visually impaired. He was active with the SRO Poetry/Prose programs for many years. A 33rd Degree Mason, he was also awarded the Meritorious Service Award by the Scottish Rite Valley of Columbus. He wrote, directed and performed with the Valley’s Players Club, traveling to Masonic Lodges throughout the Valley. For sixteen years he was Chairman of the Columbus Children’s Dyslexia earning Center, directing its growth from one child in 1999 to helping over 10,000 children. The Center’s name now adds --in Honor of Richard J. Luckay. He was a past Chairman of the Aladdin Shrine Hospital Association for Children (ASHAC), past president of the Aladdin Shrine Ambassadors unit and was a member of the Aladdin Legion of Honor. He was past president of the Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Air Force Association, Chapter 265, was a speaker for the Columbus Council on World Affairs and was an Elder of the Parkview Presbyterian Church. Predeceased by Fran, his first love and wife of over 50 years. Survived by his loving wife Sarah, son Dr. Kenneth Luckay (Melinda) and daughter Linda Luckay; step-daughter Heather Farina and step-son David Wurdlow (Sonal); grandson Ryan Luckay (Erin), granddaughters Lauren Rivercomb (Joseph) and Heather Luckay; and twin great-granddaughters AnnaLeigh and Julia Rvercomb. Visiting hour on Thursday, July 29, at Unity Presbyterian Church, 6969 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg, will begin at 5:30 P.M., Masonic service at 6:30, Legion of Honor ceremonial and memorial service to follow. In lieu of flowers consider donations to the Children’s Dyslexia Center, ASHAC or VOICEcorps.