• Luckey
    Mr. Luckey

Luckey

James E. “Gene” Luckey, age 95, of Sharp passed away Friday morning, Oct. 23, 2020, at his home in Sharp.

Gene was born Sept .19,1925, in Rockdale to Rufus Ervin and Wilma

Odell (Dickey) Luckey.

He attended mostly country schools in Rockdale and Houston. He attended Temple Junior College and West Texas State College. He earned his agriculture bachelor degree with Southwest Texas Teachers College (now called Texas State University).

Gene was a U.S. Marine veteran with the Fourth Division and received a Purple Heart for injuries at Iwo Jima.

On Aug. 7, 1946, he and Eleanor Clore were married in Temple.

He learned construction by helping build the V.A. Hospital in Temple.

He bought a farm in Cameron and raised dairy cows and delivered milk to customers in Cameron.

Gene first taught school in Sharp and then sixth grade science for seven years, before teaching construction science for two years in Rockdale until his retirement. While teaching science and driving a school bus, he also single handedly built his wife’s Spanish style dream home in the early ’70s in the thick woods of what is now Highland Avenue in Rockdale, which was a true labor of love.

After finishing this, he switched to teaching construction science and eventually owned a construction company until his retirement.

He was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Rockdale.

Gene served as commander with DAV in Cameron.

He was Milam County Republican Party Chairman and was honored in 2005 by the Milam County Republican Party for a lifetime of service.

Gene was a loving family man and enjoyed taking care of his family.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Eleanor Luckey on Dec. 19, 2018; his parents, Rufus Ervin and Wilma Odell Luckey; a sonin-law, Myron Schneider; a sister, Vera Knowles; and a brother, Eddie Luckey.

Surviving are his daughters, Ellen Luckey and husband Michael Jordan of Rockdale, Carol Driscoll and husband Glenn of Sharp, and Patti Schneider of Rockdale; brother, Don Leon Luckey of Bryan; sisters, Cynthia Mushinski of Bryan and Dorothy Hightower of Bryan; eight grandchildren, Ashley Jordan of Rockdale, Adrienne Jordan of Austin, Cné Schneider of Austin, Ty Schneider and wife Nicole of Buda, Trish Ammon and husband Jake of Jacksonville, Florida, Duke Schneider and wife Gabby of the Middle East, Charlotte Cariotis and husband Stephen of Meridian and Dustin O’Connor and wife Kasey of Searcy, Arkansas and eight great-grandchildren.

Services with military honors for Mr. Luckey are set for 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home in Rockdale with Rev. John Seaton officiating.

Visitation is also Thursday from 11 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Rockdale V.F.W. Post 6525, 978 US 79 W., Rockdale, TX 76567 or to the Rockdale American Legion Carlyle Post 358, 2534 N. FM 487, Rockdale, TX 76567.

Arrangements by Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home, P.O. Drawer 1417, Rockdale, TX 76567, 512-446-5454.

Rockdale Reporter

221 E. Cameron Ave
Rockdale, TX 76567
512-446-5838