Obituary for Robert S McLuckie Jr.
Robert Smith McLuckie Jr. (“Lucky McLuckie”) of Eastham passed away on August 3, 2023 at the age of 94. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey on September 23, 1928 to Robert Smith McLuckie Sr. and Rebecca Jones. He graduated from Montclair State Teachers College in 1950 with a degree in social studies and minor in accounting, which is unsurprising given that he had a lifelong love of counting things – such as the number of full wheelbarrows it took to whittle down a giant pile of mulch while doing backyard landscaping.
In December 1950, he joined the Army. He volunteered for the Korean War, where he proudly served as a First Lieutenant in the 999th Armored Field Artillery Battalion from December 1952 to September 1953. By nature a peaceful man, he nonetheless loved his time in the Army – in part because he enjoyed the food, but mostly because he cherished the camaraderie.
Throughout his life, he found great fulfillment in experiences in which he could be part of a team, working towards a common goal whether it was running on the track and cross-country teams in college, being a counselor at various summer camps or his long teaching career. He and his wife Sandy (whose hand he won despite wearing his sequin bowling club jacket on their first date!) were both teachers. Bob taught social studies in junior high for 26 years.
In 1979, at age 51, Bob and his family moved to Eastham. It was here that Bob’s entrepreneurial spirit emerged. Over the years, he and the family ran a bicycle shop, bed and breakfast, candy store and Certified Coffee Service franchise. These endeavors were driven in part by necessity, but also by Bob’s ability to fearlessly throw himself into new things.
When he was in his sixties, starting in 1991, Bob and Sandy had the adventure of their lives, teaching overseas for five years in Saudi Arabia followed by two years in the Dominican Republic. They used their vacation time to travel around the world, seeing all the places that Bob had been teaching about in his social studies courses.
Returning to Cape Cod, Bob tried to retire, only to then get certified as a Master Gardener and have a 15-year career working at Agway. His new job allowed him to return home with a steady stream of new plants, trees and flowers to add to his beautiful, sprawling garden, which was his pride and joy.
He was always present in the moment. He enjoyed being around people and loved having a good time. If a phrase of conversation matched the lyrics of a tune from the 1940s or 1950s, Bob would break into song.
He was a man of great authenticity, who was easy-going, attentive, non-judgmental, supportive and always eager to lend a hand whether it was to help a friend, volunteer to maintain the gardens of the Eastham Methodist Church or go miles out of his way, while returning home from Agway, to personally deliver extra plants that didn’t fit into the car of one of his customers. For him, generosity was an instinct and deep philosophy.
He always rooted for the underdog. As a sports fan, he preferred games in which the final score was close and cheered for the upset victory. In life, he believed in fairness, common decency, sharing the wealth, making everyone feel included, and taking care of the underprivileged.
His life was full and well lived. He was grateful for all the experiences he had. He sometimes said that if he could do it all over again, he would have had even more fun in life. That was him – always eager for another adventure.
Bob leaves behind his wife of 62 years, Sandy; his son Tom McLuckie and his wife Jane; his daughter Lynne Delaney and her husband Josh; and his three grandchildren, Andrew, Katie and Grace McLuckie.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Perkins School for the Blind, Lower Cape Outreach Council or the Eastham Methodist Church.
In December 1950, he joined the Army. He volunteered for the Korean War, where he proudly served as a First Lieutenant in the 999th Armored Field Artillery Battalion from December 1952 to September 1953. By nature a peaceful man, he nonetheless loved his time in the Army – in part because he enjoyed the food, but mostly because he cherished the camaraderie.
Throughout his life, he found great fulfillment in experiences in which he could be part of a team, working towards a common goal whether it was running on the track and cross-country teams in college, being a counselor at various summer camps or his long teaching career. He and his wife Sandy (whose hand he won despite wearing his sequin bowling club jacket on their first date!) were both teachers. Bob taught social studies in junior high for 26 years.
In 1979, at age 51, Bob and his family moved to Eastham. It was here that Bob’s entrepreneurial spirit emerged. Over the years, he and the family ran a bicycle shop, bed and breakfast, candy store and Certified Coffee Service franchise. These endeavors were driven in part by necessity, but also by Bob’s ability to fearlessly throw himself into new things.
When he was in his sixties, starting in 1991, Bob and Sandy had the adventure of their lives, teaching overseas for five years in Saudi Arabia followed by two years in the Dominican Republic. They used their vacation time to travel around the world, seeing all the places that Bob had been teaching about in his social studies courses.
Returning to Cape Cod, Bob tried to retire, only to then get certified as a Master Gardener and have a 15-year career working at Agway. His new job allowed him to return home with a steady stream of new plants, trees and flowers to add to his beautiful, sprawling garden, which was his pride and joy.
He was always present in the moment. He enjoyed being around people and loved having a good time. If a phrase of conversation matched the lyrics of a tune from the 1940s or 1950s, Bob would break into song.
He was a man of great authenticity, who was easy-going, attentive, non-judgmental, supportive and always eager to lend a hand whether it was to help a friend, volunteer to maintain the gardens of the Eastham Methodist Church or go miles out of his way, while returning home from Agway, to personally deliver extra plants that didn’t fit into the car of one of his customers. For him, generosity was an instinct and deep philosophy.
He always rooted for the underdog. As a sports fan, he preferred games in which the final score was close and cheered for the upset victory. In life, he believed in fairness, common decency, sharing the wealth, making everyone feel included, and taking care of the underprivileged.
His life was full and well lived. He was grateful for all the experiences he had. He sometimes said that if he could do it all over again, he would have had even more fun in life. That was him – always eager for another adventure.
Bob leaves behind his wife of 62 years, Sandy; his son Tom McLuckie and his wife Jane; his daughter Lynne Delaney and her husband Josh; and his three grandchildren, Andrew, Katie and Grace McLuckie.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Perkins School for the Blind, Lower Cape Outreach Council or the Eastham Methodist Church.