Richard James "Dick" Luker was the great-great-grandson of John Culbert and Mary Ward.
Dick Luker died 30 March 2025 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, age 92. His niece, Judith Luker Massey wrote the following piece in his memory. Information for this piece was reviewed and provided by her father, Sam Luker (Dick Luker's brother.)
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| Dick Luker (left) and Sam Luker (right) born 1 July 1932 in London, Ontario, Canada. |
Dad (Sam) and Uncle Dick were fraternal twins and they
had a close bond. The twins were born July 1, 1932 in London, Ontario and were told by their
mother, when they were young boys, that the Dominion Day parades and fireworks (later known as Canada Day) were
really for their birthday.
Their mother Gladys (Hodgins) Luker did not realize that she was having twins. After Dick was born, the doctor said, “It is not over yet Gladys,” and Sam was born 11 minutes after. The twins often had friendly discussions about who was really the oldest. Sam almost died at birth from pneumonia and their mother Gladys said that Dick cried all the time Sam was in the hospital.
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| Dick and Sam's mother, Gladys (Hodgins) Luker (1894-1984). Gladys was the great-granddaughter of John Culbert & Mary Ward. |
Sam and Dick skipped two grades and were placed into one of the first gifted classes in Ontario. They graduated high school when they were 15. They then went to London Normal School (a teachers college) and started teaching in one-room rural school houses not far from each other near Windsor.
Dick married Anne Taylor whom he met at Teacher’s College. Anne was from Windsor and so they settled down there, and Dick became a banker in Detroit, Michigan. Dick eventually became a vice-president.
Sam went to Western University in London (formerly the University of Western Ontario,) and after completing
grad school, Sam became a clinical psychologist and then a professor of Family
Studies at the University of Guelph. Sam married Melva Murphy from Midland, Ontario who
worked as a nurse and supported him while he went to university. A scholarship
and Melva’s nursing kept the young couple solvent.
Sam and Dick both liked to travel. Sam has calculated that he and Melva visited 95 different countries.
The two brothers also both enjoyed music. Sam liked pop standards and classical music while Dick had extensive knowledge and a collection of Dixieland Jazz. Dick was often contacted by radio stations and other groups to share information and borrow a record from his very large Dixieland record collection.
Both twins were bright, articulate and had happy childhoods and marriages. Although Dick lived in Windsor and Sam in Guelph, they remained close. With children and busy careers, they were not able to see each other as much as they wished. However, when they were able to get together, they talked nonstop and always had lots to share.
Dick’s death on March 30, 2025 was a blow to Sam. Dick had been calling out for Sam. Although Dick was lying down and not responsive, when he heard Sam’s voice on the phone, he opened his eyes and smiled. This was the last time the twins had an opportunity to connect before Dick died.
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To read more about Dick Luker and his brother, Sam, and to see additonal photographs, let's return to a previous post on the Culbert Family History blog. Click here to read about Dick and his twin brother, Sam Luker. Dick's obituary can be found here.
DICK LUKER's FAMILY TREE:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)
Susan Culbert & Philip Crawley (great-grandparents)
Sarah Catherine Crawley & Samuel Hill Hodgins (grandparents)
Gladys Sarah Hodgins & Wilbert Luker (parents)
Descendants (Children):
Leslie (Luker) Agnew
Tim Luker
