Paul LeRoy Lucas

Paul LeRoy Lucas, whom his mom called LeRoy but the rest of us called Luke, had lived a lot when he died at age 80 on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, at home in Boise. And he had the stories to prove it.

Luke was born on March 4, 1934, to Dorothy Gepford Lucas and Earle Lucas in Franklin, Neb.

He grew to love Harleys and old cars, Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood attitude, motocross races and Boise State football games.

He loved women, even the silent ones pinned up on his garage walls.

He cherished his weekly coffee with friends in Mountain Home and with "The Spooners" in Boise.

And he was always amazed at his grandkids.

To paraphrase Grandpa Luke: "The talent DNA skipped a generation (aka, his kids) and went straight to my grandkids."

Luke had a snarky sense of humor and was rarely concerned with being politically correct.

He had very cool penmanship, was a beautiful skier, and was equally devoted to fixing and showing off his old cars. Noteworthy vanity plates included SNOW JOB for this pearlized white 1956 Ford pickup and DVORCED.

He loved everything that stands for American freedom and took great pride in teaching us all how to shoot guns. Dirty Harry type guns.

He was amazed that all of his music fit on one tiny thumb drive he could play in his car.

And for everything he was, there were some things he was not: a cook, a philosopher or politician, for instance.

His early career was spent traveling as an auditor for GE Credit while living with his young family in Huntington Beach, Calif, and later joining the family business, Gem State Sporting Goods & Loans, in Mountain Home, where he was "king."

He was a proud and active member of the Rotary Club and proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict--where he'd not seen much combat but did, for sure, memorize the name, rank and serial number of everyone in his 140+ man troop. (Little known fact, perhaps, he had a genius IQ.)

Though married only twice, to Donna Warner and Barbara Duncan, Luke loved women and loved to remind us his wives were married 11 times between them. He had many women in his life: including the three who raised him: his mother, Dorothy (who never stopped setting him straight), his grandmother, Maude Gepford, and his aunt, Juanita. He had three daughters, Lisa, Tabitha and Bobbie Jane, and, it all started with his son, Jim, in his corner.

Luke loved his family, his friends and he loved Idaho. Though born on the kitchen table in Franklin, Neb.--weighing in at 12 lbs.--he'd lived in Idaho most of his life.

Paul LeRoy Lucas was preceded in death by: his youngest child, Bobbie Jane Lucas, who passed away in 1980 at age 11; his mother, Dorothy Lambeth; stepfather James Robert "Bob" Lambeth; father Earle Lucas, and former wife Barbara Duncan.

Survivors include three children and their families: James Gregory Lucas, wife Josephine and children William Bradley and Jessica Lauren Lucas; daughter Lisa Lucas McBean, husband Calum and children Abigail Jane and John "Jack" Lucas McBean; and daughter Tabitha Abigail De La Torre, husband Timothy and children Andie Jane and Sam Lucas De La Torre. From Washington, cousin Dorothy Starr McCombs and her husband, Bob, and their children, Shannon, Wendy and Christopher; cousin Barbara Starr List. From Nebraska, half siblings Wayne Lucas and Jean Hamik.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 11 a.m. at Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel in Boise. A committal service will immediately follow at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery with reception to follow.

Luke will be truly missed by many. But the stories, we're sure, will live on.