Grove City Messenger - August 23rd, 2020

www.columbusmessenger.com
Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
It was a shared goal of friends and relatives
to get David Lucas to laugh.
Described as an easy going man who
was quick to offer a smile, he was a bit
stingy when it came to sharing his vocal
burst of delight: it was almost as if he knew
of their intentions, however good natured
they may have been, and wanted to make
them work for it.
“It was a slow developing process,” said
childhood pal Mark Sweazy. “It would start
as a certain snicker, then it would move
into more of a chuckle, and then it would
turn into a laugh that etched itself into
your mind.”
Since his involuntary rhythmic action
developed as a child, there have been those
who have sought to amuse him in order to
hear it. His siblings would try to embarrass
him in order to draw it out; his friends
would do more of the same while walking
the halls of Franklin Heights in the early
1970s; the patrons at Polly’s Tavern (which
he co-owned with his then wife Donna
Lucas) would make ribald jokes; his biker
buddies would see if it could ring louder
than the wind; and his step-children would
do just about anything to get it out of him.
“It was the most infectious laugh,” said
step-daughter Janessa Fridenmaker. “You
couldn’t help but to share in the joy of that
sound.”
For more than 60 years, that joyous
sound filled households, hallways, taverns,
construction sites, the open road and the
occasional golf course. But then it was
silenced far too soon.
It was late last year that Lucas, a proud
native of the westside, started to feel that
something was off.
“He was the most energetic person but
he started to complain about being tired all
of the time,” said Linda Taylor, his longtime
partner. “I would call him and he
would say he just woke up from a nap, or I
would call him and he would say he needed
to take a nap.
“He was not someone who napped, especially
when he was down in Florida and
riding around in the nice weather, so it was
very unusual for him.”
At the urging of his family, he went in
for tests but all of the indications came
back relatively normal.
“He was initially treated for vertigo,”
said Donna Lucas, who remained best
friends with David after their divorce in
2006.
But symptoms lingered and progressed.
After more tests, doctors spotted a tumor
on his intestines and further scans showed
signs that there was cancer in his lungs,
his brain and bones.
“It was a shock for all of us,” said Taylor.
“A horrible shock.”
The hospital where David was being
treated began to restrict visitor access to
slow the spread of a novel coronavirus.
Though family and friends could speak to
him via cell phone or tablet, it was not the
same as gathering around him as he fought
cancer.
After a round of chemotherapy and
other treatments, David went into hospice
care in March. Fridenmaker said if there
was one positive to come out of that transition,
it was the fact that they could see him,
speak to him, and find solace in the laugh
that he was still able to offer.
He died on April 8. Due to COVID-19
restrictions, family and friends were
unable to hold a memorial to mourn and
celebrate his life and achievements.
Often teased for her organizational
skills, Fridenmaker was determined that a
memorial would be held and that when it
was, it would one-up that goal of making
him laugh.
“I wanted it to be something that would
make him proud,” she said.
Knowing his discomfort with funeral
homes, she decided to establish a charity
ride in his honor to benefit cancer research
at St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
“It combined all of the things he loved —
friends and family together, most on bikes,
raising money in his name to help children.”
The memorial benefit for David “Prune”
Lucas was held at several locations on Aug.
9. It started at the Moose Lodge on
Demorest Road where he spent much of his
childhood and adulthood; it traveled to the
Oak Grove Tavern in Galloway to meet up
with the owner who was one of David’s
numerous friends; and it ended at Pour
Boys Pub & Patio on Sullivant Avenue, the
spot where Polly’s Tavern used to be located.
More than 60 riders throughout the
state participated in the benefit and more
than $8,500 was raised for St. Jude
Children’s Hospital. Included in the rally
was Robby Taylor, David’s teenage grandson
who is an aspiring professional racer,
Raymond Diagle, a resident of northeast
Ohio who purchased David’s beloved white
2007 Harley Davidson and George Felton,
a non-rider who chose to cruise in his classic
Monte Carlo.
All three of his step-children participated
as well — Jenee Bennett was ensconced
in an SUV, Robert Taylor on a bike, and
Fridenmaker riding pillion on her father’s
bike, in absolute awe at what was happening.
“I was crying the entire trip,”
Grove City
Messenger
August 23, 2020 - GROVE CITY MESSENGER - PAGE 11
Memorial ride honoring westside man to benefit children
Looking for a small,
friendly church experience? Try
First Presbyterian Church
of Grove City
4227 Broadway, Grove City
In-person Worship 10 a.m.
Services will continue on
Facebook Live at 10 am as well
www.fpcgc.org
Free Community Brown Bag Drive-through Lunch
Saturday, August 29, 11:00 am- 1:00 pm
Fridenmaker said with a laugh.
“Fortunately I was not in charge of the
bike’s operation.”
As the main event kicked off at Pour
Boys, Linda Taylor walked around the
premises, looking at the pictures of her
departed partner, and soaked up the scene
filled with people sharing stories.
“I can almost see him dancing to the
blues and I can almost hear him laughing,”
she said. “He would have been so proud of
this benefit and how we all came together
to honor his life and memory.”
Jeffrey E. Buskirk
& Associates
Attorneys At Law
4178 Broadway, Grove City, OH 43123
Serving the Community for over 30 years
Social Security, Wills,
Estates, Probate
614-875-7220
jbuskirk2125@yahoo.com
614-875-0480 Fax
Grove City Church of God
“A Healing Place”
4325 Harrisburg Pike, Grove City, Ohio 43123
Office Hours:
Mon.-Thurs. 9am - 3pm
www.gccog.net - 614-875-7186
Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.
Doors Open at 10:00 a.m.
Visit us on Facebook - 10:30 a.m.
@ Grove City Church of God
“A Healing Place”
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Messenger photo by Dedra Cordle
More than four months after the death of westside native and local businessman
David “Prune” Lucas, his friends and family were finally able to hold a memorial to celebrate
his life on Aug. 9. Pictured here, below a large photo of David, are some of his
surviving relatives.