Luke James Clements, 1922-2019 Just 10 days shy of his 97th birthday, Luke James Clements passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at his residence in Richmond, Texas. Luke was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 51 years Gloria Mudge Clements and his sister Margaret Clements Merlini. Luke is survived by his son Luke and wife Pamela, and their children Luke Jr., Paige and Mark of Katy; his son Christopher and his children Austin, wife Stacey and daughter Claire of Naperville, IL, and Tyler and his wife Janna of San Antonio; his son Jeffrey and wife Leigh, and their children Eleanor and Towner of Shaker Heights, OH. Luke is also survived by his brother Anthony Clements of Pittsburgh, PA, his brother John Clements and wife Jackie of Pittsburgh, PA, five nieces and seven nephews.
Luke was born in humble circumstances in Pittsburgh, to Antonio and Jane Clements, and raised with his sister and two brothers in the Beechview section of Pittsburgh's South Side. He graduated high school in 1939 and, having just started in business college, was drafted in January 1942 by the United States Army for service in WWII. After basic training in early 1942, until his discharge in December 1945, Luke was a solider in the 104th Infantry Division, known as the 'Timberwolves'. Specifically, Luke was part of the Timberwolves' Quartermaster Corps, driving ordnance and fuel trucks to-and-from forward areas, while also ferrying Colonels and Generals in jeeps around northern Europe.
After his discharge in December 1945, Luke returned to Pittsburgh and, in the Fall of 1946, began a lifelong relationship with the University of Pittsburgh, by enrolling in their engineering program. He graduated from Pitt in 1950, with a degree in Industrial Engineering, remaining an ardent supporter of Pitt the rest of his life. Soon after, he began his 42-year career in engineering and sales, 41 of those with Dover Corporation/ OPW Division. In 1967, after stops in Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Falls Church, VA, Luke settled his family in Houston.
Luke's family, hobbies, and career hit stride in Houston. He was a proud member of Riverbend Country Club for 34 years, having served as Club President in 1986, humbly lowering his golf handicap to 12 along the way. It should be said of Luke that he loved the church, his wife, his sons, golf, travel across continents, and the Oilers, Astros and Rockets, all in that order. He was the patriarch of a now much bigger family, and he took his responsibilities as a husband, father, brother, and company executive very seriously. His gentle yet firm manner, his kind heart, his keen sense of humor, and his vast knowledge of the world around him made him unique among his peers. He was a first-row member of the Greatest Generation. Luke will be greatly missed, and his memory cherished, from Italy, to Greece, to Pennsylvania, to Ohio, to Illinois, to Texas.
Calling hours will be held on Sunday, March 3, from 3:00- 6:00p.m., at Earthman Funeral Directors at Hunters Creek, 8303 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in memory of Luke on Monday, March 4, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc, Houston.
Memorial donations in memory of Luke may be made to the Knights of Columbus, St. Cecilia's Council 13357 (https://saintcecilia.org/the-knights-of-columbus), or in memory of his wife Gloria to the Houston Area Parkinson Society (https://www.hapsonline.org/)
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