David G. Lucas

David G. Lucas

AGE: 90 • Somerville

David G. Lucas, 90, of Somerville passed away at his residence on Wednesday (Dec. 18, 2013) with his family by his side. Born in East Orange to Catherine and David Lucas, he grew up in Somerset County, and had resided in Somerville since 1967. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Jean Dallessio.

He was a 1941 graduate of Bernards High School. He enlisted in the Army in 1943, joined the Army Corps of Engineers, and served overseas in the Philippine Islands. He was discharged in 1946 as a First Lieutenant. Subsequently, he graduated from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, and from Columbia Law School, New York, NY. Licensed to practice law in New Jersey, he held various positions in government and the courts, as well as private practice. Upon graduation from law school, he spent a year as clerk and associate with the law firm of Stryker, Tams, and Horner, Esqs., in Newark.

In 1955, he became a legislative assistant to then-Senator Malcolm Forbes. From 1956 to 1961, he was employed as a legal assistant to the Somerset County Prosecutor. During that same period, he was associated with Edward Hogan, Esq., in private practice in Somerville. In 1962, he accepted a position as legal assistant to the Administrative Director of the Courts. Three years later, he entered private practice with the firm of Pelletieri & Rabstein, Esqs., in Trenton, and later, with the firm of Imbriani, Westling, and Lucas in Bound Brook.

During the early 1970s, he returned to public practice as Deputy Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General, including serving as First Deputy Director in the newly-created Division of Criminal Justice, and as Acting Prosecutor in the counties of Bergen, Hunterdon, and Ocean. He was appointed by then-Governor William Cahill as a Commissioner of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation in 1973. Appointed by then-Governor Brendan Byrne, from 1976 through his retirement in 1993, he was a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division, assigned to the Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren vicinage. Subsequent to retirement, he sat in the same vicinage on recall.

In 1972, he was elected President of the Somerset County Bar Association, and selected as a Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He was a parishioner of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville. For over 65 years, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. For 49 years, he was a retreatant at the Loyola House of Retreats in Morristown. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Diocese of Metuchen St. Thomas More Award.

In addition to his wife, Jean, he is survived by his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Tracy, and three grandchildren, Morgan, Kevin, and Ann, all of Wall Township, NJ, a brother, Thomas, of Pontotoc, Mississippi, and a sister, Theresa, of Napa, California. He is pre-deceased by his brothers, John, Morgan, and Robert.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 9:30am on Monday, December 23, at the Immaculate Conception Church, 35 Mountain Ave., Somerville. Interment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge. Visiting hours on Sunday, December 22, from 2-4pm and 7-9pm at the Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Ave., Somerville