Michael C. Loucas, teacher, former boxer

Michael C. “Mike” Loucas, a retired Baltimore County physical-education teacher who earlier had been a boxer, died Saturday of complications from dementia at Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Community Living Center, part of the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital. The longtime Fallston resident was 81. The son of Chris Loucas, a United Steelworkers organizer and president of the Bethlehem Steel Corp. local at Sparrows Point, and Florence Loucas, a homemaker, Michael Chris Loucas was born in Weirton, W.Va., and moved with his family in 1937 to Dundalk.

After graduating in 1953 from Dundalk High School, he enlisted in the Army and served in Korea for two years. Upon leaving the service, he enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1960 and later a master’s degree in education.

He spent 31 years as a physical-education teacher, teaching at Battle Grove Elementary School, North Point Junior High School and Dundalk High School. He retired in 1992,

For 23 years during summers, he was a unit leader at Camp Airy in Thurmont, a residential camp for Jewish boys.

Mr. Loucas had been a boxer during the 1950s.

“Despite being only 5 feet, 2 inches and weighing 119 pounds, he had a record of 68 victories and only eight setbacks, including winning eight tournaments and defeating Luis Figuerosa of Puerto Rico,” said a daughter, Michelle Loucas of Philadelphia.

“While boxing for the Army in 1954, he won the 119-pound title in Japan and in 1955, the All Korea 119-pound title,” Ms. Loucas said.

In 1957, he won the Golden Gloves of Washington title and represented New York against Chicago at Madison Square Garden in 1960. He was inducted into the Maryland Boxing Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Washington Boxing Hall of Fame in 1989.

“He suffered from memory loss for the last 12 years of his life, probably the result of traumatic brain in jury from his boxing career,” said his daughter, with whom he had lived since 2009.

He was a member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, where he taught Sunday school for 23 years. He was also a member of Palikaria, a men’s group.

He had been a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Collier County, Fla., for a decade, and the Cabell-Lincoln Work Camp in Huntington, W.Va., where he helped repair homes for seven years in Appalachia.

Mr. Loucas volunteered with Beans and Bread in Baltimore and Meals on Wheels in Harford County.

His wife of 42 years, the former Ann Alatis, died in 2009.

Funeral services for Mr. Loucas will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at his church, 2504 Cub Hill Road, Parkville.

He is also survived by another daughter, Lia Freeman of Lexington, S.C.; a brother, Manuel Loucas of Forest Hill; a sister, Christine Sarris of Fallston; and five grandchildren.