Doris Clay Lucchesi

Doris Clay Lucchesi, the woman, the educator, the legend, passed away at 83, on December 28, 2025.

She was born in Yuba City, CA, on April 7, 1942, to Frank "Bud" and Dorothy "Hap" Clay of Marysville, CA.

Hap said she was born looking just like Bud, and indeed she did throughout her life. But she was like Bud in so many other ways, quiet, introspective, succinct, not given to small talk, into dogs and horses, and good at working with her hands whether it was wood, gardening, gourds or anything else she tried.

Her mom referred to her and her dad as "mutes" and bemoaned their lack of social skills.

She grew up along the shore of Ellis Lake in Marysville and became adept at swimming at an early age.

It was the first of many sports she would take to, as a natural athlete. She was an excellent water skier and was crowned "Ellis Lake Regatta Queen" in 1959.

Graduation from Marysville Union High School in 1960, took her first to Yuba College and then to Chico State where she married, and went on to get her degree and teaching credential.

On a trip to Truckee, CA, in 1965, she and her husband happened to stop in at Tahoe Truckee High School and ask the principal if they could fill out an application.

He asked if they could start right away, and so began the legendary 35-year teaching career that was the most defining aspect of her life.

To say she was a phenomenal teacher would not adequately describe what she meant to her students.

She was simply unparalleled among the legions of educators who walked through those doors. She motivated students and fellow teachers alike, and she inspired many of those students to become educators themselves.

Disarming in her elegant nonchalance, her commanding presence grew over the decades, and administrators learned to leave her alone and allow her to do what she does best, inspire young people and teach them to think for themselves.

Her methods were unconventional, but she got results. Her former students are the testament to her teaching skills, as she is beloved to this day, 25 years after retirement.

In later years she developed her creative side and retired, in part, to have more time to foster her love of gourd art.

Her gourds were simply exquisite and very much in-demand. She made hundreds of ornaments every year for gift shops who clamored for more of her art to feature in their stores. Consider yourself lucky if you have a Doris Lucchesi original!

Prior to that, she worked alongside her dad making old-fashioned wooden toys of the Victorian era, which she and her mom sold at craft fairs in the area.

Quite often, if a child stared wide-eyed at a particular toy, she simply gave it to them. Turns out, it was not a very lucrative endeavor, but she was not big on accumulating wealth. She preferred to make people happy instead.

When she met Annie, the woman with whom she would share her love for the final 24 years of her life, they moved from Truckee, CA, to Reno, NV, and operated a small, independent dog rescue and transport which they lovingly called "The End of the Line Dog Rescue."

They took in old, arthritic, disabled, sick, deaf, blind, castaway dogs and gave them sunny acres, comfy beds, veterinary care and healthy food to enjoy at the end of their lives.

They did it all on their own dime out of love for the animals. In all, they provided home and hospice for over 40 dogs, and even a few cats.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, Bud and Hap Clay; sister, Doreen; and brother, John.

She leaves behind a heartsick Annie, who will carry on with their animals as best she can.

But Doris was the magic, and it's hard to imagine being able to do any of it half as well as she did.

Besides the generations of students whose lives she touched, some of whom were very, very special to her, she was also a beloved "bonus" mother to Annie's children, Joey (Sara), and Mary (Russell); and grandmother to Jordyn, Sam, and Eily. She also leaves nephews; nieces; and cousins who were all very dear to her.

A Celebration of her Life will be held when the weather is warm. If you wish to be kept informed of the date and place, contact annavedo@yahoo.com.

If you'd like to do something nice in her memory, adopt an unwanted animal from your local shelter, or make a donation to their efforts to save lives.

Oh, I forgot birds. Feed birds. She was the biggest bird nerd west of the Mississippi. Dogspeed Doris, and send us a message on the wind from time to time.