Michael Kent Luckin

Michael Kent Luckin passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, surrounded by his family after a hard-fought battle with Influenza-A and pneumonia. A devoted father and husband, he lived a full life of 82 years is survived by his wife Kathleen, their three children Paul, Kent and Ryan; three daughters-in-law Christine, Nikki and Sarah; and four grandchildren Graham, Nathan, Aidan, & Emily, and his sister Frankie Jean Luckin.

Mike was born in Alabama and moved to Fresno, CA, as a child. He had enormous pride in his hometown, and after graduating from McLane High School, he went on to Fresno State earn a degree in Business Administration, followed by an MBA in Business and General Management. While at Fresno State, he played on the JV Men's basketball team and was a member of the Varsity Golf team. Additionally, he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity. Fresno State was also where he met his wife of 58 years, Kathleen.

Mike spent nearly his entire career in the banking industry. He started at Wells Fargo, before moving to Guarantee Savings & Loan in Fresno in 1970. As a young employee, he often recalled how he drove the Guarantee Bus to rural locations in Fresno County which didn't have a branch, and assisted clients where they lived. He and Paul also had the privilege of going to the top of the Guarantee Building – aka The Big G - downtown and changing the clock to reflect daylight saving time. As First Vice President, he headed support operations for the $3B institution, and then transitioned to Carson City, NV, as the new CEO of Carson Valley Medical Center where he headed the initiative to recruit physicians from the Lake Tahoe area who wanted to enlist new patients.

From there, he then journeyed to San Jose where he worked at Technology Credit Union from 1995 to 2013 as an Executive Vice-President, and also headed their newly-formed Risk Management Division. Mike excelled in these roles and was always quick to provide his family with pertinent information about electronic banking safety and best practices. Emails to his boys about phishing and pharming threats were a weekly occurrence. Through his 17 years at TechCU, he drove home every Friday afternoon to be with his family and then left at the crack of dawn on Monday mornings to head back north. A true testament of his dedication to his family and life in Fresno. In April of 2013, he started another position at Educational Employees Credit Union where he focused on risk-management until his retirement in 2021.

Prior to and after his retirement, Mike spent countless hours volunteering his time with Central Valley Honor Flight. A Captain in the Army National Guard himself, Mike experience great fulfillment ensuring our Veterans had a well-deserved and enjoyable experience in Washington DC. He worked with Medical Ministries International, along with Alliance of Therapy Dogs taking his Cockapoo to various locations to provide comfort and support to local individuals in need. He also loved to exercise and was at the gym daily or on a 10-15 mile bike ride around north Fresno, which he proudly tracked and posted online when completed.

Away from his career, Mike had a love of sports which he passed along to his sons, grandsons, and granddaughter. While he was a yo-yo champion in his youth, his first love was golf, and he played as much as he could at many courses in the Central Valley and Central Coast. He spent time with Paul, Kent, and Ryan teaching them the basics of the swing in the back yard, or at the driving range when time permitted. More than that, he emphasized etiquette on the course which he learned from his father Kenneth. On more than one occasion, he would correct his kids when they displayed anger after poor shot and wouldn't suffer a thrown club for any reason. For his 70+ years of playing, he never had a hole-in-one though he came close a number of times. He was exceedingly proud of an albatross he made at Riverside GC on #13, hitting driver and his 2W on the long par 5.

Mike coached soccer teams at various levels and stayed involved in the sport by becoming a soccer referee. As he obtained higher lever referee certifications, he was able to eventually referee D-2 soccer games at the collegiate level which he did all over the state.

Ever the optimist, he was always cheering for championships for his favorite Bay Area sports teams, the San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, the San Francisco 49ers, and his favorite football club Manchester United.

Mike loved his family greatly and left this world better than how he found it. He'll be greatly missed by those that knew and loved him. Remembrances may be sent by way of donation to Alzheimer's Foundation and Medical Ministries International.