The Voice of Rome dies at 94
Ben Lucas, a radio personality and real estate executive, was an icon in both fields.
Ben Lucas, of radio and real estate, was an icon in both fields.
Rome has lost a legend. Ben Lucas, known by many simply as “the Voice of Rome,” died Thursday at the age of 94.
Lucas came to Rome from Columbus in 1947. He was the host of the original “Talk of the Town” radio program on WRGA. The program was broadcast from the roof of Roy’s Little Garden drive-in restaurant on Dean Avenue.
“His voice was so distinctive that you never even wondered who you were listening to,” said David Harvey, a Rome insurance executive.
Randy Davis, owner of WLAQ, remembers trying to break into the business as a young man when Lucas was doing sales at WROM.
“He was trying to teach me to be a salesman and he made it look so easy,” Davis said. “He had so much credibility. He was a wonderful human being in every respect, a consummate businessman, a
great family man, a reputation that was impeccable and his word was his bond. If he told you something, it was the absolute truth.”
After his retirement from radio in 1967, Lucas got into commercial real estate, ran his own firm for a number of years, and then joined Toles, Temple & Wright in 1993. He stayed relatively active in the business all the way through his 90th birthday.
“Ben was an absolute true gentleman and friend of all of us here. He was a superior commercial
broker,” said Brooke Temple. “People called Ben right up until the time he went in the hospital.”
Lucas was part of the team that brought Mount Berry Mall and Walgreen’s to Rome. More recently, he was responsible for the Pine Hall Brick project plant in eastern Gordon County. He was named Greater Rome Board of Realtors Realtor of the Year in 1973 and inducted into the GRBR Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was also elected to the Rome City Commission and served as chairman during the six years he was on the board, from 1969 through 1974.
“He was an extraordinary man,” said Harvey, who served alongside Lucas on the commission. “He had the ability to get along with everybody, including (City Manager Bruce) Hamler. They made a great team.” Harvey said Lucas moved the city commission into the modern era.”
“He loved Rome,” said his wife, Cheryl Lucas.
Lucas also served on the Hospital Authority of Floyd County, was one of the founders of Georgia State Bank (now Regions Bank) and was a Heart of Community award winner in 2003.
Funeral services will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Fellowship Baptist Church, 314 Burnett Ferry Road. The family will receive friends at Fellowship Baptist Church on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m.