Granby Living June 2020

GL
CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS
ERIC LUKINGBEAL’S
environmental care evident at Holcomb Tree Trail
By Sarah Merrill
Eric Lukingbeal was born on Nov. 26, 1945 in Farmersville, Ohio — “a teeny-weeny
little town” near Dayton, the same town where his father grew up.
When Eric was born, his father, Kent V. Lukingbeal, was returning home from the
service after spending most of World War II on a Navy submarine in the Pacific.
Eric’s parents met at Ohio State University. “I’m a huge Ohio State football fan. It
drives my wife Sally nuts!” Eric laughs.
Kent Lukingbeal and Virginia Hummell were married in 1945. Eric has two younger
sisters.
Virginia was born on Halloween 1919 and grew up in a small farming town not far
from Columbus. Now 100, Eric’s mother lives in an assisted living facility in Ashville,
N.C.
Kent was born on Valentine’s Day 1918. “My dad’s middle name is V because of that
birthday — it’s not an initial! Incidentally, Harry S Truman had a similar story. His
middle name was S.”
Like his father and his grandfather before him, Eric’s nickname was always “Luke.”
After returning from the service, Eric’s father started his career as a lawyer. When
Eric was about 5 years old, his parents bought a home in Westwood, N.J., where Eric
attended school through the sixth grade.
“In the 1950s, that part of New Jersey was not very developed. I was surrounded by
woods and streams — it was rural, not unlike Granby,” says Eric. “My friends and I
spent our time doing two things: playing baseball and fishing.”
The family’s next move was to New Canaan, Conn., where Eric attended junior high
and high school. “New Canaan was a very different place when I lived there! It was a
quiet, rural town,” says Eric. “In fact, I got my first job working on a farm.”
Eric took up tennis and finished high school as the top player. In addition to playing
competitively, he worked jobs maintaining the town’s tennis courts and assisting the
tennis pro at the local club.
Eric as a boy on Cape Cod, circa 1955
Eric admits that he was not a motivated student: “I
studied enough to do pretty well, but I was kind of a
reckless kid who got into my share of trouble with my
friends. Looking back, it’s kind of embarrassing.”
He says Latin is the only school subject he really
enjoyed: “For some reason, Latin came easily to me, and I
had a teacher who I really admired.”
In 1964, Eric attended Williams College (Williamstown,
Mass.) but explains that he dropped out halfway through
his junior year — “I just wasn’t interested in school at that
point.” With the war in Vietnam, Eric went directly to the
draft board. When he found there was a long wait to be
drafted, Eric enlisted. “My parents were horrified,” he says.
Eric’s hopes to attend officer candidate school did
not pan out, but he did attend journalism school in
Indianapolis, followed by radio and television broadcasting
school. At Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, Calif., Eric worked
in the public information office. “I ended up becoming the
editor of the base newspaper, which I really enjoyed,” he
says.
Celebrating Our Seniors is sponsored by McLean
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
To our staff for the daily displays of unwavering courage and compassion.
To our families for trusting us as we care for your very precious loved ones.
To our residents for your strength and resilience as we travel unfamiliar territory together.
And to our friends and neighbors for the many ways you are showing us your heartwarming support.
We are so grateful.
75 Great Pond Road | Simsbury, CT 06070
860-658-3700 | McLeanInspiredLiving.org
10 | JUNE 2020