Roger Cornelius Lucas

Dr. Roger Cornelius Lucas Ph.D. died peacefully on October 15, 2025, at home, next to his beloved wife, Mary Ann (Graf) Lucas, to whom he was married for 59 years. Roger loved Mary Ann with all his heart. Always ready with a comment, he relished reminding family members that he was given them but chose her. He is preceded in death by his parents, Cornelius (Corny) H. Lucas and Carmela (Minnie) Lucas.
Roger, born on January 10, 1943, grew up as the oldest of two brothers (Richard and Tom) and a sister (Kathy) in Northeast Minneapolis, near the restaurant and grocery store owned and operated by his Italian immigrant grandparents, Conjate and Angelo Creminsnio, whom he adored. Conjate and Angelo instilled an appreciation for hard work and education as key to a meaningful life. With this upbringing, Roger went on to achieve a storied career as a scientist and entrepreneur. He earned a B.S. from St. Mary's University, which honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Institute of Technology. He was the recipient of National Institutes of Health pre- and post-doctoral fellowships during the many years he spent in research while working in academia. In the early 1980s, he transitioned from academia to industry and began working for a humble hematology company, R&D Systems, where he was instrumental in identifying growth factors that could be used as research reagents. He spearheaded the company's entrance into the biotechnology sector and was part of the team that took the company public, merging with Techne in 1985. He was the leader of the bio-tech division through its formative years and served in various roles including Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-Chairman of the Board during his tenure. The company, now called Bio-Techne, currently employs more than 3,100 people worldwide, and offers over 500,000 clinical research and testing products. In his later years, he served on many corporate boards including ChemoCentryx, Discovery Genomics, and Envoy Medical. He was one of the founding shareholders in Envoy Medical, which develops novel fully implanted hearing devices, where he left a lasting mark on a generation of medical device professionals.
Despite his many academic and professional achievements, which allowed him to retire in his 50s, his most cherished joy in life was the marriage to Mary Ann and the family they created together, which includes 13 grandchildren. His descendants, by family units are: Bradley C. Lucas and his children Zella, Aurelia, Sylvia, and Max; Brian P. Lucas MD and Roberta (O'Dea) Lucas MD and their children Wylie, Roger, Roy, and Arlo; Brent T. Lucas JD and Darya (Orandi) Lucas JD and their children Liev and Mila; Courtney M. Lucas JD and Matthew Kelly and children Marianna, Lucas, and Lucianna.
The family requests that all memorials be sent to One Tree Planted (http://onetreeplanted.org), as a tribute to Roger's affection for trees.
Mass at 11 am on October 27, 2025, at Catholic Community of St. Odilia, located at 3495 Victoria Stret North in Shoreview, Minnesota. Visitation one hour before mass at the church. Burial to follow mass at Sunset Memorial Park.