HENRY LUKAS (1927-2007) Fairboard
President, Attorney, Gardener "He was
a brilliant attorney and a better gardener," James Lukas said of his
father, Henry Lukas, a Brecksville resident and former president of the
Cuyahoga County Fair Board.
Henry Lukas
died May 24, at the age of 79, of respiratory failure at Marymount Hospital
in Garfield Heights.
Mr. Lukas
was born in Cleveland, educated at University School in Shaker Heights
and Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.
After
serving at the Pentagon during the Korean War, he returned to Cleveland
and graduated from John Marshall Law School. He practiced probate law in
Cleveland, and it was through this connection that he served as honorary
consul to Norway.
According to
his son, Mr. Lukas shared an office with the attorney who was the consul
to Norway and, when his office mate fell ill, Mr. Lukas "fell into
the position" and ran with it. He assisted Norwegians in Ohio and
was awarded Norway’s St. Olaf’s Medal for Exceptional Service.
Although his
job was law, Mr. Lukas was a farmer at heart, according to his son. It was
through that love that Mr. Lukas joined the Cuyahoga County Agricultural
Society in 1965.
"The
fair was his way to connect to agriculture," James Lukas said.
He said his
father thought it was important that people in the urban areas of the
county appreciate agriculture, and he worked in various roles for the
fair. He used his legal skills with the fair board and worked on safety
and security, Junior Fair, exhibits and development.
"Henry
had a great overview of the event by the time he was elected president in
1975," said Mike Rogers, spokesman for the fair. Mr. Lukas was
president of the Cuyahoga County Fair Board until 2006, a position he
held for 31 years.
Rogers
worked with Mr. Lukas on fair-related topics for 25 years and said Mr.
Lukas’ great overview made him an effective leader.
James Lukas
said his father "wanted everything to be the best it could be,"
when it came to the fair.
"He was
a behind-the-scenes player on the fair board," Rogers said.
"When there was a news story, Henry would tell me to get one of the
other directors to make a comment or be the spokesperson myself."
Mr. Lukas
owned more than 200 acres in Richfield until 1975, when the government
acquired it for what would become the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation
Area. So, instead of replacing it with a condo at Put-in-Bay, Mr. Lukas
purchased 100 acres of land in southern Ohio that he leased to a local
sheep farmer.
Every
weekend, even when his health began to fail, Mr. Lukas would drive to
stay at his 100-acre farm. When his health worsened, his son would drive
him to the farm.
"He was
just a great guy," James Lukas said. "He had a love for the
fair, love for family and a love for his country."
Henry Lukas
is survived by his wife of 47 years, Irene; three children, Lynn, James
and Paul; and three grandchildren, Rachel, Kyle and Andrew.
The family
suggests contributions in Mr. Lukas’ memory be sent to St. Albert the
Great School, 6667 Wallings Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133.
