Obituaries
Raymond G. Lucas, 90
June 21, 2018
Raymond “Ray” G. Lucas, 90, formerly of Altoona, PA, passed away on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at his Mount Joy home. He is the only child of the late, Elmer W. and Ruth N. (Marks) Lucas.
Ray graduated from Wheaton College in 1951 with a BA in Anthropology and earned a Master’s degree in Biblical Literature in 1953. He attended Grace Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, MN before moving back to Tipton, PA. There he started the Tipton Baptist Church where he pastored for 12 years until he followed the Lord’s call to the mission field. He served in mission work from 1966 till 1994 with his wife and eight children, beginning as an independent missionary in Honduras until 1983. He then served in Peru as a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators, after which he returned to care for his mother. Following his heart for missions, he joined the US Center for World Missions, and later Frontier Ventures, as a missions mobilizer in the US World Christian Movement. He visited churches to present God’s heart for all peoples through the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course.
His God, his work, and his family were everything to him; family events were of greatest importance.
Ray is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Normalee Lucas of Mount Joy; his eight children, Stephen Lucas (Karen) of North Judson, IN, David Lucas (Tammy) of Kilgore, TX, Rebecca Mohr of Grove City, PA, Debbie Stutzman (Lowell) of Kutztown, PA, FaithAnn Flores (Steve) of Mount Joy, PA, Nathan Lucas (Paula) of Kalona, IA, Beth Tuggy (Harold) of Bellwood, PA, and Grace Barton of Mount Joy, PA; his 50 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Mark Lucas
A viewing will take place from 5 to 7 PM Sunday June 24, 2018 at Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543. The funeral service will be held at 10AM Monday, June 25, 2018 at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Road, Lititz, PA 17543. Graveside services will be held 11AM Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in Blair Memorial Park, 3324 East Pleasant Valley Boulevard, Altoona, PA 16601. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Rays’ honor to Frontier Ventures, Ministry Acct. #142, 1605 Elizabeth Street, Pasadena, CA 91104, https://secure.frontierventures.org/donate/details/48
Leave a condolence on this Memorial Page
Condolences to the Family
June 30, 2018
Hello Lucas family:
I sincerely appreciated Ray’s thoughtful insights and keenly recall his weekly ministering to the young men at Kappa Zeta Chi (New Life in Christ) on the LeTourneau campus. It is bitter-sweet to hear of his recent graduation to eternal adventures, yet now he has a view to observe the fruit of all the sowing in which “God gave the increase” (I Cor 3:6). May the Prince of Peace comfort your souls and encourage your spirits. Willie Dingeldein
June 24, 2018
Lucas Family!
Your husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather was a powerhouse! You must be missing him terribly, and be so proud of him, at the same time. His was a life extremely well-lived, and his constant reminders to remain at the forefront of Kingdom-building have stayed with me since Perspectives’ days (almost 10 years ago). Praying that you will be comforted…Laurie Deamer
June 24, 2018
Dear Lucas family,
On behalf of the Jim Ott family I would like to send our condolences to you all. My father always spoke of nothing but kindness when mentioning your family. Our love and prayers always.
Darlene Ott-Hale
June 23, 2018
Dear Lucas family,
On behalf of English Lake Church in North Judson, IN, we send our condolences to all of you! May you know the comfort of the Lord in your great loss. We rejoice with you in knowing that Ray is free from his suffering now, and is in the presence of the Lord.
June 23, 2018
Dearest Lucas family,
I am so sorry for your loss, what an amazing man he was! So many of my childhood memories include him, he always had a kind word, a smile and a joke for me. I pray that you experience God’s comfort in the most profound way, and feel Ray smiling down on you and cheering you on as you continue to run this race with endurance. Lots of love to you all,
Sharon (Dennis) Smothers
June 23, 2018
Dear Lucas family, my sincerest condolences to you all. I’m grateful to have known Ray and your family. Jess and our family wish you all the best and many prayers.
Sincerely,
Jim Kilmartin
June 23, 2018
What a wonderful and fruitful man of God. My blessing added… Bruce Mitchell
June 22, 2018
Dearest pap pap,
It’s Chris, you’re granddaughter. I know you’re seeing this from heaven. I love you so much! Last time we talked it was through the phone a few months ago. Now it’s through Jesus. I didn’t know at first how to comprehend this all but now it’s slowly falling into place. I have so many awesome memories of you. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get to you before this. I have so many words..yet none. I’m sad because I know I no longer have you here, on this earth. But I’m feel joy through tears because I know you are in heaven and have you there. I’ve never had this close a passing… But death is only what we call it on earth. You’re still alive pap pap. In soul. I can’t wait to see you in heaven. I love you ❤️
June 22, 2018
Dearest Normie, Steve, David, Becky, Debbie, Faith Ann, Nate, Beth, and Gracie,
Ron and I send condolences to each one of you today, feeling the pain of this temporary loss but also the great joy of knowing that he left you a heritage–the heritage of having been the wife and children of someone who kept his eyes on God without wavering. I am full of memories as I write this to you, because Ray was and is now a true man of God. He has changed his address and he has left behind his aging body–just because he truly finished his course and had lived for Jesus all the days that were ordained for him. When we met Ray and all of you at the Mission Home in Tegucigalpa in 1971, he was a man who followed the call of God as a joyful adventure, no matter how difficult the path could be. He smiled and joked his way through every hardship, because he had already left his burdens with the Lord. He was out to gain territory for the Kingdom of God, and God used him mightily in Honduras to win people to Jesus. That fruit remains, along with you, the 8 disciples that he and Normie raised. Later God used him to influence thousands of Christians to follow his and your example–to go to the least reached people in the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Who knows how many people in how many places have been reached through those who were taught by him? What we do know is that right now Ray is experiencing a joy in the Lord’s presence that we can only imagine. It feels like he has been swept up like Elijah and that he has thrown down his mantle for the rest of us to take up. Dear ones, may our precious Lord comfort each of your hearts with His amazing love. May you feel His arms around you, and may the sweet memories of your husband and dad be the treasure that spurs you on and encourages you every day. You were greatly blessed to be his beloved family, and we, as friends, were blessed to have him as a shining example of faith and perseverance. We will miss Ray, because there is no one like him, but we will be seeing him in heaven, and what a reunion we will have! In the meantime, our hearts and our prayers are with you.
Lynn and Ron Dennis
- Visitation
- Sunday, June 24, 2018
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory
- 3110 Lititz Pike
- Lititz, PA 17543
- Map and Directions
-
Get Maps and Directions > - Services
- Monday, June 25, 2018
- 10:00 AM
- Lancaster Evangelical Free Church
- 419 Pierson Road
- Lititz, Pennsylvania 17543
- Map and Directions
-
Get Maps and Directions >
![Send Flowers Online](https://www.snyderfuneralhome.com/images/pushes/send-flowers.jpg)