Rev. Robert O. Luck

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The Rev. Robert O. Luck, age 81, passed away on Tuesday, April 23, 2013.
Born on June 11, 1931 in West New York, NJ, he was the son of Robert Andrew and Anna Cecilia (Lutz) Luck.
Robert served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1951-54, achieving the rank of staff sergeant before entering St. Mary's College Seminary in Kentucky and then St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. He was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on April 30, 1962.
Fr. Robert served as an associate pastor until he was assigned as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force in 1966. In 1984, he retired as a lieutenant colonel, having served at bases around the world, including Germany, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Guam, the Johnson Atoll and many others. He served not only professionally but with distinction and bravery, several times putting his life at risk to serve others and secure their safety. He then served at various communities in his priesthood until he finally retired in order to care for his mother in Las Vegas, Nev. Upon her passing, he moved to Palm Springs, where he remained for several years until his final illness.
He is survived by his two brothers, Thomas Luck (and Elizabeth Kidder) of Leyden, Mass., and James Luck (and Esperanza) of Calexico, CA, and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as his aunts, Molly Lutz of Florida and Cornelia Lutz of California.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Wednesday, May 1, 2013, at St. Barnabas Church, Long Beach, CA, with committal in All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach.