Dorothy “Dot” Lucas

DOROTHY IRVING-LUCAS

Dorothy Irving was the youngest of three children born to the union of Mrs. Mary Magdalene Carey-Irving and Newton Irving in Belzoni, Mississippi on March 26, 1926. She was an active child and played basketball in high school. She was affectionately known as “Dot”. Back in the day she asked her older niece and nephews not to call her “Aunt Dot” because it made her “feel old”.  Eventually she embraced the title of Aunt and Granny too!

Dorothy migrated to Chicago in the early 1940s with the family. There she found her first true love: bowling. She was a semi-pro bowler who participated with multiple teams competing regionally and nationally. She continued this passion, bowling on two different teams until she reached 93 years old.

Her second love was Tommy Lucas whom she married and remained lifelong friends. Tommy loved working on cars and Aunt Dot loved driving cars fast, real fast!

Dorothy was a career women and worked 35+ years with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois. In the Accounting Department she worked her way up to the position of Supervisor of the Non Sufficient Funds (NSF) area. She retired in good standing, well past the age of 70. Of course this freed her up to bowl in even more leagues and enjoy more frequent visits to her favorite restaurant, Red Lobster.

In 2006 Dorothy moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to be close to her childhood friend Sadie Davis. Eventually, her nephew David made the move to join her, becoming Dot’s caretaker for two decades. She loved Milwaukee and made deep and close friendships with numerous members of the Milwaukee Church of Christ. She attended Bible Study during the week and would arrive early on Sunday mornings to help prepare communion.

In 2020, the building Dorothy lived in, was put on the market and sold very quickly displacing her to Gary, Indiana and finally to West Memphis, Arkansas where she made her transition to eternity on the evening of Thursday, July 7, 2022 at home surrounded by family at the age of 96.

Aunt Dot leaves to cherish her memory nieces Carole Irving-Knight (Alan) of New Mexico; Betty Irving Decosey (Dwane), of Lakeland, FL; nephews Robert Lee Irving III and David Irving (Mark) of Chicago, IL; Michael Irving of Virginia Beach, VA and Paul E. Irving (Rochell) of Greensboro, NC. Great nieces Kimberly ’Kim’ Irving, Lisa Murray of Arkansas; Tara “Punkin” Murray; and Jamie Murray of Chicago, IL, Ophelia Irving-Travis (aka Nicci) of Greensboro, NC, Chrystal Irving-Rhodes (Julian) of Chicago, IL, Sharon Irving (Quincy) of Chicago, IL, and great nephews Keith Murray of Arkansas and Gregory Powell (Mayura) of Phuket, Thailand and  Jeremy Irving (Karen) of San Francisco, CA; and a host of  great great nieces and nephews and friends.

Her parents and brother Robert Lee Irving II, sister Velma Bibbs, nieces Patricia Murray and  and nephews LeRoy Irving (Beverly), Carey Irving aka Yahdeen (Sharon) Alvin Newton Murray, Jeffry Kenny Murray and Richard Irving (Barbara) all preceded her in death. We have lost the matriarch of our family and pray our loss is heaven’s gain. She will truly be missed.

Visitation to be held at Krause Funeral Home, 9000 West Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sunday, July 17th, 2022 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Service to follow.