Shirley Starr Lucas
Oct. 26, 1923 - Jan. 17, 2014
Resident of San Jose

Shirley Lucas, longtime San Jose resident passed quietly in her sleep. She was 90. Shirley was born in Buckley, Washington the only child to Alva and Clara Starr. The family moved to Oakland in 1926. Upon graduation from Oakland High School in 1941, Shirley entered the University of California at Berkeley. There she joined Kappa Delta Sorority and worked at the student paper, the Daily Cal. Shirley blossomed in college in her own words "I went from never going to a dance in High School to never sitting out a dance in college."

It was in spring of 1942 that Shirley met a tall, handsome student at a Cal basketball game. Donald W. Lucas would later tell his mother that he just met the girl he would marry. They became engaged later that year. After four years in the army during World War II, Don returned home in 1946. They finally married in 1947.

Although a college graduate Shirley stayed home to raise their three children. An avid reader Shirley belonged to several book clubs. As a child she had been part of a study on childhood reading at Stanford University. Shirley was able to read before the age of 4. As an adult she was capable of prodigious feats of reading. Often consuming several books a day.

Active in the community affairs, she was president of the local PTA and in 1962 Shirley and Don were the founding members of the Skyline Community Church of Oakland. Moving to San Jose in 1968 Shirley lived in Almaden Valley. There, she continued to be active in her community. She returned to her sorority roots serving as house mother to the San Jose State Chapter of Kappa Delta in the 1980's.

Shirley was proud of her education and was a lifetime member of the American Association of University Women. A natural teacher, she taught Sunday School at three different churches for 40 years. Later in life she continued to use her reading skills by correcting papers at several local middle schools.

After 58 years of marriage and 63 years in love, Don passed way in 2005.

Shirley is survived by her three children, David Lucas, Kenneth Lucas and Clare Tapia and her five grandchildren. Services will be private.