Edmund Lukas

Ed was born in the Bronx, NY, son of Marie and Edmund, Sr. He attended Stuyvesant High School before his family moved to Huntington, NY. At Central High School he was Student Council President and participated in many sports, theatre and music. There he made life-long friendships and his classmates voted him “wittiest” and “most likely to succeed.” Spot on.

After graduating from Cornell in 1960 with a degree in Economics and Government, Ed proudly served two years as a Lieutenant in the Navy. Returning to Huntington and raising his family, he briefly taught high school history before pursuing an illustrious and successful career on Wall Street. As Vice President at the NY Stock Exchange, he established the NYSE International Division in London, subsequently listing over 200 companies while tirelessly traveling around the globe. Upon retirement, he became a consultant for specialist firm Spear Leeds and Kellogg, and would later contribute a weekly financial segment as a radio co-host of the Cape Cod Real Estate Show on Saturday mornings. He believed he was the luckiest man to have a career that he loved for many decades.

Ed relished spending his retirement between Manhattan and his home on Cape Cod, where he enjoyed the beauty of everything the Cape has to offer. He was an astute and appreciative observer of nature, the sky and, of course, the sea. A favorite summer pastime of Ed’s was enjoying the late afternoon sun on the beach at New Seabury CC. He and his wife, Fran, shared a passion for travel, especially to new destinations. They were inseparable, and from the beginning of their courtship in 2002 were affectionately known as “Fr-Ed.”

Ed will always be remembered as a gentleman and a gentle man. He was a proud father and grandfather, as well as a devoted and loving spouse to Fran. Ed was kind and engaging with everyone he met, possessing a unique ability to connect with people of all ages and from all walks of life. His sense of humor and sublime knack for storytelling and writing celebration poems were legendary. To be around Ed was to know just how good it feels to laugh.

That wit and sense of humor were matched only by his keen intellect. Ed’s grasp of history was remarkable, as was his ability to immediately “adopt” any foreign language of the many countries he visited. His incredibly diverse knowledge and willingness to patiently explain any subject matter were appreciated by all types of audiences, and he was fondly referred to in the family as “Mr. Google.”

Ed was a noble man of integrity, compassion and humility, never seeking the limelight but comfortable with it when he walked into a room or onto a stage. He had a calm demeanor but the presence of a giant. He was New York tough and competitive but had the huge heart of an angel—especially with children, pets, and anything patriotic. He was kind, considerate, understanding, tolerant, reasonable, even-tempered, and forgave easily. He held no grudges and disliked ill-spirited gossip. His moral compass was exemplary. Always exhibiting decorum, he was an impeccable dresser and well-mannered, as he believed that “manners make everything easier.”

When news of Ed’s passing became known, some of the words and phrases used to describe him included Bright Light, Mentor, Counselor, Extraordinary, Courageous, Magnificent, Rock Star, One in a Million, Life Force, Magical, and a King Among Men. As expressed by his niece, Brooke, “Any person who has been a part of Ed’s life is truly to be considered among the fortunate.” He was loved by everyone.

Ed supported the West Barnstable Civic Association, 1717 Meetinghouse, and Save our Sound. He was a member of both Our Lady of Victory Parish, as well as St. Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan.

Ed is preceded in death by his parents, Marie and Edmund, Sr., and his first wife, Elizabeth, and is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Fran, his brother and his wife, Henry and Carol Lukas, his son and daughter, Peter Lukas and Kate Lukas McGowan, daughter-in-law Madeline, son-in-law James, grandchildren Katherine and Abigail Lukas, Dylan and Elizabeth McGowan, several in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins, and a multitude of friends from around the world.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Tunnel to Towers Foundation at T2T.org or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.

The family would like to sincerely thank the staff of Cape Cod Hospital, Spaulding, Mayflower, as well as Ed’s doctors at Cornell Weill in Manhattan for their kind and loving care of him.

Visiting hours will take place Sunday, June 5 from 4 to 7 pm at Nickerson Bourne Funeral Home, Sandwich, MA. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 am Monday, June 6 at Our Lady of Victory, Centerville, MA.

For online condolences or to share a memory visit www.nickersonbournefh.com