Andy Lucas passed away on August 20th, 2024, after a long battle with lung disease. He died peacefully at home at the age of 78, with loving family by his side.
Born on August 14, 1946, at Saint Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Andy was the oldest of two sons born to Haskell (Hack) and Kathelene (Mimi) Lucas and was raised in Washington, Oklahoma. He and his family were devout Christians and were members of the Southern Baptist Church.
Extremely hardworking, Andy picked cotton as a young man, eventually giving that up to bale hay at 3 cents a bale. He attended Washington High School and played baseball, a sport that he loved and excelled at. He was an All-Stater and held the strikeout record at the school for many years.
He received a baseball scholarship to Bacone University but chose to go to Oklahoma State University to play baseball there until an arm injury cut short his aspirations.
Andy went on to serve in the Army and the Air Force for four years and married Glenda Embry, adopting her three girls, Lori Castello, Lisa Hoge and Shawna Rich. In 1972 they gave birth to Staci. He threw himself into raising four girls, getting them all involved in softball while he umpired and coached. He went on to help start and become President of the Washington Girls Softball Association.
In 1980, he moved to Yukon, Oklahoma where he met and married Tammy Griffith, giving birth to Nathan in 1991. And was also a loving bonus dad to Tammy’s son, Michael Whitley.
Andy had many great careers; Captain of the Fire Department at Tinker Air Force Base for 14 years, a pumper for Del Hi Gas Pipeline for 14 years, worked at H&H Plumbing for another 14 years, and also worked in the thoroughbred industry. He was a very talented and gifted artist and started his own company called the “Smidgens”.
Andy loved being outdoors; fishing, hunting and playing golf, even achieving a hole in one. But most of all what he loved was watching his son Nathan play baseball. He also coached several of Nathan’s baseball, football, and basketball teams.
The people who knew Andy will always remember his love for God and country. He had a great sense of humor and a way with words, lovingly referred to as “Andyisms”. He could definitely make people laugh and in his mind there wasn’t anything that a little duct tape couldn’t fix!
Andy is survived by his children, Staci Amy and her husband, Brian, and Nathan Lucas and his wife, Chelsie; grandchildren, Connor Amy, Jake Amy and Elijah Lucas; and brother, Joe Lucas and his wife, Hazel, and their children, Dustin, Nicole, Haley and Jesse.
Private services to be held later.
The family would like to express love and thanks to Loving Care Hospice, especially Jason, Jill, Tommie, Julie, Thom and Michelle and Doctor Rick Schmidt for their kindness and compassion and the top-notch care they gave him every day.
Click Here To Watch Andy Lucas’ Special Memories Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv4MGn1gi70)