Lexington resident John Lucente died peacefully on September 5 at the age of 87. Born in 1936, Lucente was a veteran of the U.S. Army and worked as a road contractor. He was perhaps best known for his tireless dedication to community service through his involvement with the Lexington Lions Club, a humanitarian service organization affiliated with Lions International.
Lucente joined the Lexington Lions Club in 1968. As one of the club’s directors, he led a long-standing initiative to distribute used eyeglasses to people in need. He personally collected glasses from donation bins in Lexington and neighboring towns. “John would literally go to the local meetings and fill up his trunk of his car entirely [with glasses],” said Alan Wrigley, a Lexington Lions board member.
After collecting the eyeglasses, Lucente sorted them by prescription and shipped them to destinations including Bolivia, Nigeria, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic. It is estimated that during his life, Lucente collected and distributed more than one million pairs of glasses.
Lucente’s efforts impacted countless lives. “People have gone from not being able to see at all to putting a pair of glasses on, and they can see,” Paula Rizzo-Riley, a director of the Lexington Lions who worked closely with Lucente, said. “They’re just thrilled, and they sit there and they cry because they can see.”
In addition to his work on the eyeglasses collection project, Lucente played an active role in the Lexington Lions Club’s medical device donation system. The club stored donated medical equipment in a warehouse and would provide the equipment in emergencies to Lexington residents.
“If somebody called and said they needed something, John would go down, check what else was there, and then deliver it,” Wrigley said. “If he got somebody needing a wheelchair and they called at 9 o’clock in the morning, chances are by noontime, they had that wheelchair.”
Few individuals exhibited Lucente’s level of commitment to the community. “John had the time to do it. He had the space to do it. And he had the desire and the heart to do it. Not everybody will devote [their time] to medical equipment or eyeglasses,” said Rizzo-Riley.
Throughout his years of service, Lucente consistently put the needs of others before his own. “He wanted to be doing something for somebody else. It was never about him,” said Wrigley.
Lucente had a deep connection to his family and others in the community. “He just loved being with people. He loved family,” Rizzo-Riley said. “He was devoted to his grandkids and his great-grandkids.”
Lucente is survived by his wife, Sondra, their nine children, 19 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. He will be remembered as a pillar of kindness and service, whose unwavering dedication to his community and family will leave a lasting legacy.
Affectionately known as ‘Lion Dad’ by everyone at the Lexington Lions Club, John was one of the kindest and warmest people I’ve ever met. He gave so much to the club and the community, always going above and beyond. Just a day before he became ill, he was out delivering medical equipment. At the carnival, he would tirelessly walk the grounds with a trash barrel and picker, and he was always part of the cleanup crew after the fireworks—a task that was exhausting even for middle-aged folks like me.
We will deeply miss his warm smile and his beautiful voice. Who will now lead us in singing ‘God Bless America’ at our club meetings?
Thank you all for the praise and caring thoughts. John was a trusted and loyal friend to all that touched his life. He displayed warm energy and respect while working diligently to help others, be it with
the recycled eyeglasses or providing many with needed medical equipment.
Our family has been gratefully blessed with his love and caring and he will remain in our hearts forever and ever.
I remember working with my father packing up eye glasses for a church in Ghana, they sent us a video of them putting on glasses for the first time in their life, it was so heart warming. He was a great man, I’m going to miss him dearly.
One of the many fond memories I have of John was when I was a little kid in the mid 1970s. We lived in a rather tightly knit storybook like neighborhood on Hilltop Ave. John being a dear friend and neighbor got a school bus and took the whole neighborhood apple picking! John will be remembered as a funny, caring, generous and humble man.
John helped me with necessary equipment through three surgeries. He was kind, dedicated and really just a lovely man.
I send my heartfelt wishes to his wonderful family as they recall not only the loss of him, but also the gift of knowing him.
John would always be there to listen, help and be a friend, which he was to our Family for Fifty years….will always remember his SMILE and kindness he showed to my family and yours as well…..A Family Man with a beautiful wife Sondra, Children, Grandchildren and Great…many that you know as your children’s friends in School that he went too….memories hold forever, our Friend may you always Rest in Peace…