Lucia Claire Hutchinson Peel Powe

1931 - 2023

Lucia Claire Hutchinson Peel Powe
April 26, 1931 - January 10, 2023
Durham, North Carolina - Lucia Claire Hutchinson Peel Powe -- mother, teacher, author, advocate, fundraiser, philanthropist, musician, artist, and designer departed this world on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 91, in Durham, North Carolina.
In the days since her death, Lucia has been called "a force of nature," "an icon," "indomitable," a "singular sensation," and, by the current chair of the board of directors of Kidznotes, the nonprofit that Lucia founded in 2009, "a visionary, who changed the landscape of the world she lived in." Though not unexpected, Lucia's family is devastated by the loss of their matriarch and these words have provided great comfort.
Lucia was born on April 26, 1931, in Smyrna, Georgia, to Badgely and Lucia Gertrude (née Eldridge) Hutchinson. Lucia's parents divorced when she was 16, and she took great pride in her single working mother, who sent her to college.
Lucia graduated from Marietta High School and then Wesleyan Women's College and Conservatory in Macon, Georgia, where she majored in speech and drama, and studied voice. She possessed a magnificent coloratura soprano. After winning the Miss Georgia pageant in 1952, Lucia sang with the Atlanta Symphony, participated in the 1953 Miss America pageant, toured with an all-female singing act out of New York City, and worked in recruiting for her alma mater. Though it's almost hard to imagine her slowing down long enough to, Lucia LOVED to dance and later recalled, "I was there at Ocean Drive after the war when the Shag was born."
Lucia was starring as Miss Lucia on "Romper Room," a children's television show broadcast in Greenville, NC, when she met Elbert Sidney "Junie" Peel, from Williamston, NC. The pair married in 1957, and together brought up four daughters: Lucia Claire Peel of Williamston, Mimi Peel of Hillsborough, Sydney Eldridge Peel Woodside (Joseph "Woody" Redmond Woodside) of Knoxville, TN, and Elizabeth Chase Peel (David Solow) of Durham.
Judge Peel died of cancer in 1984 before meeting his many grandchildren, whom Lucia adored: Lindsey Marie Elkins (Erin Renee Myers) of Denver, CO, Lily Peel Elkins (Christopher Blake Schilling) of Durham, Stewart McKamey Woodside and Joseph Redmond Woodside of Knoxville, TN, Ruby Marlette Solow of Durham; and great-grandchildren, Oliver Myers Elkins and Rowan Myers Elkins, also of Denver.
During her marriage to Junie, Lucia threw herself fully into life in Williamston. She directed her church's adult and children's choirs, was president of pretty much every women's service group in town, and earned a teaching degree at ECU, before teaching creative writing, filmmaking, and theater arts in the Martin County School system. She also starred in plays, sang at such major events as the opening of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge at Oregon Inlet, and organized fundraisers for North Carolina institutions like the NC Symphony and many more for causes local to Eastern NC.
In 1994, Lucia married a widower, attorney E.K. Powe of Durham, NC, who had been a classmate of Junie's at UNC-Chapel Hill and a fellow NC legislator, gaining 3 wonderful stepdaughters: Louise Kelly (Clinton) of Woodland Hills, California, Josephine Powe (Tom McGuire) of Santa Barbara, California, and Katherine Dauchert (Eugene) of Durham; and grandchildren, Katherine Kelly Berlyn, Ashley Kelly Ainsworth, Jonathan Dauchert, Stephen Dauchert, Christopher McGuire, and Matthew McGuire.
Upon relocating to Durham, Lucia became dedicated to the people and dynamism of this city above any other. She created innovative fundraisers for the Durham Public Library, Preservation Durham, and St. Philip's Episcopal Church, which she adopted with joy as E.K.'s wife. She was also a fundraising board member for the Lineberger Cancer Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. She developed her interest in writing during these years, publishing two novels and a book of reminiscences, observations, and essays, and served on the board of the North Carolina Writers Network for many years.
In 2008, Lucia and E.K. happened to catch an edition of 60 Minutes that highlighted Venezuela's El Sistema music program for at-risk youths. It is an understatement to say that Lucia was blown away by the impact the music program had on its students. In the 1970s, legendary conductor José Abreu began teaching students orchestral music in his garage after school. At the time, street violence was prevalent in Venezuela and opportunities for young people scarce. Mr. Abreu's program impacted his students through the foundational community it created and the students' dedication to their instruments and musical craft heightened their abilities in all areas. Making connections between hardships faced by young people both in Venezuela AND in Durham, Lucia turned to E.K. and said, "someone has to start a program like that HERE!" She always credited E.K. with empowering her to undertake the challenge herself, then in her late 70s, when he turned to her and asked earnestly: "Lucia, why don't you do it?
Kidznotes was founded by Lucia Powe in 2009, with co-founders Kathie Morrison and Katie Wyatt (founding Executive Director), and support from donors whom Lucia recruited with her indefatigable passion and zeal for the mission. Since its first class of 60 students launched in 2010, Kidznotes has served more than 2,500 students in the Triangle by providing free, often life-changing orchestral and ensemble music education to children from under-resourced communities. One of Lucia's most profound moments of joy in recent years was witnessing gifted Kidznotes' student Marcus Gee play first cello under the conductorship of Gustavo Dudamel, the world-renowned conductor who is an alumnus of El Sistema and one of Lucia's heroes.
Lucia often reflected on her "two wonderful husbands...both kind, GOOD men." She believed she was very lucky to have had two loves of her life, along with so much else to be grateful for that, she'd quip, "it's almost embarrassin'." Though Lucia's last year was challenging due to her weakening health, she remained positive, grateful, and invested in life and those around her. An unflagging optimist and extrovert who never held a grudge, Lucia remained driven by a force within to give back to the world that she felt had given her so much - helping others brought her joy, and she was by nature extremely generous with her time, effort, and resources. A family friend told Lucia's daughters: "Lucia touched more lives than you will probably ever know."
During the pandemic, when Lucia was under quarantine while living at Croasdaile Village, she fulfilled her need for nature, movement, and beauty by walking around Bowles Lake pushing her scarlet walker "Lulu" at least twice every day. She knew and loved every tree, every duck. Even into advanced old age, Lucia seemed to attract good luck like a magnet. She had the ability to spot a four-leaf clover at a distance with just a glance as she quickly (until recently) walked by. They just leapt out at her! The four-leaf clover - its leaves standing for faith, hope, luck, and love - seems the very embodiment of our mother (but for her we'd add a fifth leaf for extreme generosity and a sixth for constant gratitude).
For the many people state-wide and beyond who knew and loved Lucia, the world became a dimmer place on January 10, 2023. Her family will venerate her memory for as long as they live.
All are invited to join the family for her Celebration of Life service being held on Sunday, March 5 at 2:00pm at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Durham.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts in Lucia's honor be directed to: Kidznotes, Attention: Shana Tucker, PO Box 200 Durham, NC 27702; or Roanoke River Partners, Attention: Anne Lunsford, PO Box 488, Windsor, NC 27983.