James D. Lucus
July 23, 1941 - July 17, 2020 Resident of Half Moon Bay
James Lucus departed his earthly residence to go to a coveted well known place. A beloved husband, and devoted father to his son and a proud grandfather of two very loved grandchildren, he will be sorely missed. He was born Born in Duquoin, Illinois and when he was a young boy his family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. Jim graduated in 1963 with a major in science from Indiana University and with his teaching credential in hand, he headed out on route 66 to California. Eventually he began his 35 years of service to education with Hayward Unified School District. He taught Physical Science and Biology at Calaroga Junior High and then at Mt. Eden High School until his retirement in 2001. During his early years in the Bay Area he began spending a lot of his time over the hill at the coast and became enamored with the abundance of marine life and the ocean. He studied, collected, examined and took his classes on field trips. He became a certified scuba diver, developed a talent for underwater photography, and enjoyed free diving for abalone. Some of his most memorable dives were the Red Sea, Truk Lagoon and Samoa. He purchased a home in Half Moon Bay in 1968. This is the house he would live in for the rest of his life. He loved Half Moon Bay. He married and they had a son, Joseph in the mid 70’s. Unfortunately the marriage didn’t last and Jim found himself a single father with a small child and a 50/50 custody arrangement. He cherished the time he had with his son, whose care and well being was now his prime concern.
Returning home from a Kona Dive trip he met the lady who would become his 2nd wife. She became certified and they began spending one or two weeks on live-aboard dive boats each summer, diving different waters --- Cayman Islands, Mexico, Roatan, Belize and the Hawaiian Islands. The family also enjoyed camping, skiing and their trips each year to visit family in Indiana.
He is survived by his wife Judith Lucus, his son Joseph Lucus and his partner-in life Jessie Johnson and his two grandchildren Fiona Lucus and Eli James Lucus, all residing in Half Moon Bay. The immediate family plans a private ceremony at sea. They take comfort in knowing he had a good life, was loved by many people and will soon be resting in his favorite place. Jim will be remembered as honest, a man with high principles and his love and loyalty for family and friends. A more inclusive obituary and an online guest book will be found at www.millerdutra.com.