John A. Luke Sr.

>LUKE John A. Luke Sr., former president and chief executive officer of Westvaco Corporation, died on Monday, May 7, 2007. He was 81. According to his family, Mr. Luke died of complications following a brief illness. The son of the late David L. Luke Jr. and Priscilla Warren Luke, Mr. Luke is survived by his wife, Joy Carter Luke; his brother, David L. Luke III; and half-sister, Melinda Luke; his children, John A. Luke Jr., William H. Luke, Hope L. Hetherington and their spouses, Kathleen Luke, Cynthia Luke, and John Hetherington; and his grandchildren, Lindsay A. Luke, Elizabeth C. Luke, John A. Luke III, Whitney Joy Luke, Kells L. Hetherington, Jane S. Hetherington, J. Luke Murphy and Gordon T. Murphy. He was predeceased by a daughter, Jane L. Murphy; and a sister, Priscilla Luke Vail. Mr. Luke enjoyed a distinguished 43-year career with the pulp and paper company his family founded more than 100 years ago. He helped guide the business as president, during which time the company expanded its international presence and strengthened its leadership in environmental stewardship. He was highly respected as a leader in the paper industry and as a strong advocate for free and fair international trade. Colleagues and co-workers appreciated his unwavering integrity and his effective combination of strength and warmth. Mr. Luke's great-grandfather built the family's first pulp mill on the Potomac River in 1888 and later founded the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. In 2002, Westvaco merged with the Mead Corporation. Today, MeadWestvaco is a global leader in premium packaging and packaging solutions for consumer products. John A. Luke was born on November 30, 1925 and graduated from The Hotchkiss School and Yale University. He served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1945. During his career with Westvaco, Mr. Luke earned numerous awards and recognitions for his leadership role in the paper industry and service with a variety of industry and environmental organizations. A memorial service will be held on May 16 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Mark's Church in New Canaan, Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Lupus Research Institute, 330 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1701, New York, New York 10001.