Charles Craft Lucas Jr.

Charles Craft Lucas Jr. died June 7, 2016 at his home in Charlotte. He was 77 years old. Charlie was born on March 4, 1939 and was the son of the late Charles Craft Lucas and Mary Davidson (May D) Marion Lucas. He grew up in Charlotte, attending Myers Park Elementary School, Alexander Graham Junior High School and Myers Park High School, graduating in the Class of 1957. After high school, he attended Duke University, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, graduating in 1961. Upon graduation from college, Charlie worked for North Carolina National Bank for seven years. In 1968, he moved to New York and spent the rest of his career at The Juilliard School as Controller, and later, as the Vice President of Finance and Administration. During his career at Juilliard, he was the school’s principal liaison to the Lincoln Center for the Arts, and was active in the development of the school’s building program at Lincoln Center, which was transformational for the institution. He retired from Juilliard in 2000 after 32 years.

Charlie was dedicated to the arts and was a devoted fan of classical music and opera, particularly the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He was also an avid collector over the years, developing extensive knowledge and expertise on American furniture and decorative arts, American paintings and U.S. Presidential history. He served on the Board of Trustees of The Mint Museum and Friends of the New Canaan Library. Charlie was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John Hardin Marion Lucas. He is survived by his sons, Charles Craft Lucas III and his wife Beth, Josiah Charles Trent Lucas and his wife Sally, and Benjamin Newton Duke Lucas and his wife Jill; his sister, Mary Lucas and her husband Ken Boggs; his nephew, Davidson Glenn Lucas and his wife Kim; and nine grandchildren.

The family will hold a private service at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 420 Anderson Street, Durham, NC 27708 or the New Canaan Library, 151 Main Street, New Canaan, CT 06840.