Mary Hazel Thompson Lucas | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Mary Hazel Thompson Lucas

    Mary Hazel Thompson Lucas, age 99, died Sunday, July 21, 2013, at Arbor Acres in Winston-Salem.

    She was born Nov. 26, 1913, in Raleigh, the oldest child of Mary Eliza Wood and Hazel Leroy Meacham. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Woman's College, now the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, she married Leon Chappell Thompson. They lived in Washington, NC, where he operated Edinburg Industries and was chairman of the boards of the Beaufort County School System and Beaufort Tech, now Beaufort County Community College. He died June 9, 1975. In 1980, she married John Wilson Lucas, an avid sailor who had retired from DuPont and moved to Washington to be on the Pamlico River. He died in August of 1996. Mary Hazel was president of the Women's Society, now the United Methodist Women, at First United Methodist Church in Washington and a member of the Washington Yacht and Country Club. She was an avid golfer, pursuing her second hole-in-one into her late eighties. Mary Hazel was also an enthusiastic and competitive bridge player all her life, enjoying the game and the fellowship.

    Travel was another passion and she was privileged to visit all but one continent. She loved being with people and was especially grateful for the warm welcome she received when she moved to Winston-Salem in 1999 at age 86. In Winston-Salem, she became a member of Centenary United Methodist Church, the Giannini Society of the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Hawthorne Hill Society of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, the Tuesday Book Club and the North Carolina History Museum Associates. She was admired and enjoyed by her many friends and family.

    She is survived by her two children, Nancy Wood Thompson Pleasants and husband Ed of Winston-Salem and Beth Chappell Thompson of Clyde, NC; three stepchildren, Nan Lucas Jackson and husband Ned of Chadds Ford, Pa.; Elizabeth Lucas Archie and husband Tom of Washington, and Margaret Lucas Dent and husband Magruder of Charlottesville, Va.; two grandchildren, Emily Wood Pleasants Sternberg and husband Scott and children William Reade Sternberg, Katherine Wood Sternberg and Zachary Mathias Sternberg of Greenwich, Connecticut, and Mary Myers Pleasants Bossong and husband Julian and children Edward Julian Bossong and Sarah Pleasants Bossong of Raleigh; twelve step-grandchildren, and ten step-great-grandchildren. Mary Hazel was preceded in death by her grandson Leon Chappell Thompson III, of Boston; her stepson John Lucas of Matthew; and her three siblings. The family wishes to thank Lynn Rodriguez and the staff of Arbor Acres for their loving support of our mother.

    A graveside service will be held at Oakdale Cemetery in Washington at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring her memory with a gift to Arbor Acres Methodist Retirement Community, 1240 Arbor Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, or First Methodist Church, 304 W. Second St., Washington, NC 27889.

    Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.salemfh.com.

    Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington and Salem Funeral Home of Winston Salem are both honored to serve the Lucas family.