Charles S. Luck III ’55

By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer

“It is easy to exhaust superlatives when de- board, a position he held until his death. Luck scribing Charlie Luck,” said Gen. J.H. Binford also was on the boards of many corporations Peay III ’62, former VMI superintendent, when and professional organizations. His decisions to asked to reflect upon Charles S. Luck III ’55, embrace innovations as well as set high standards who died Dec. 1, 2020, at age 87. “He was in the realms of safety and environmental quality a successful leader in business known for his earned Luck Companies national recognition strong entrepreneurial spirit and his willingness and him leadership positions in many trade to embrace innovation. He had a sincere desire associations. to serve his neighbors and devoted himself to the Luck was involved in community affairs, espesupport of many charities and community or- cially in the Richmond area. He served on the ganizations. Moreover, he was a stalwart friend boards of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and to me. Of course, I first came to know him as the Children’s Museum of Richmond as well as a grateful alumnus who served tirelessly on the those of Mary Baldwin College, the J. Sargeant boards of all the VMI Alumni Agencies and Reynolds Community College Educational the Board of Visitors and as a leader in support Foundation, and St. Christopher’s School. In of the Institute who for several decades gave part, Luck ’83 credits his father’s devotion to selflessly of his time and talent to encourage service to the example set by his grandfather, others to help strengthen VMI and always led who “was devoted to serving the community and by outstanding example.” very philanthropic. My dad took that example

Luck, the son of Charles S. Luck Jr., Class of to heart.” Luck’s VMI experience also provided 1920, was indeed all those things—and much inspiration. “VMI sets a high standard of service more. According to his son, Charles S. Luck IV for its alumni, and dad always strived to meet it.” ’83, Luck promoted the Institute even before Luck also found board work agreeable. “Dad he matriculated. “In a letter, he told a friend enjoyed boards and board work,” recalled Luck that he was making a big mistake by going to Luck ’55 ’83. “He liked forming coalitions, developing the University of Virginia instead of VMI.” He strategies, and discerning what was needed to also was unlike many alumni, whose affection for VMI increases the move an organization to the next level. Also, he enjoyed preparing for longer they have been out of barracks. “Even as a cadet, he loved it. He meetings, examining documents, and doing the readings.” appreciated the structure as well as the friendships and camaraderie.” Bright threads run through the fabric of every life. For Luck, these were Although the highest rank he held in the Corps was corporal, he took a his family and his business—and VMI. “As a cadet, the VMI community leading role in many activities, including the staff of the Bomb and the became dad’s community, and it stayed that way for the rest of his life,” Hop Committee. He also played golf three of his four years as a cadet. said Luck ’83. It was, he continued, “intertwined with all aspects of his

After service in the Air Force, Luck began to work at his family’s life.” Luck’s wife of 64 years, True, was the girl he dated while at VMI. stone products company, Luck Stone, in Goochland County. It would Many of the company’s customers were VMI alumni, including many, be more accurate to say he returned to work in the family business, as like Luck, who had been civil engineering majors. Luck ’83 remembers he had worked summers for it since he was 12. Among his first tasks that when the company bought an airplane in 1972, it arrived painted was deliver ice and water to workmen in a quarry, which involved him white. “It wasn’t long before it was painted in VMI colors.” The Luck being lowered to the quarry floor in a basket. family traveled regularly to VMI for football games, and until it ended

In 1965, he became the company’s president. Under his leadership, in the early 1970s, attending the annual VMI versus VPI Thanksgiving the company was marked by, according to a family remembrance, Day game in Roanoke was a family tradition. “expansion and technological advancement.” The company added Luck served VMI in many capacities over five decades. He joined the plants and quarries in Virginia and North Carolina and opened re- VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors in 1965. Five years later, tail architectural stone centers. It also branched out into real estate he became a member of the VMI Board of Visitors, serving until 1978. and acquired a manufacturer of clay tennis courts. After 30 years at From 1978-81, he was a member of the VMI Keydet Club Board of the helm of what had become Luck Companies, Luck ’83 became Governors. He later was a trustee of the VMI Foundation from 1987company’s chief executive officer, and Luck became chairman of the 95, during which time he became the organization’s vice president for

administration. The span of Luck’s service meant that he was involved in VMI’s first two major fundraising campaigns: The Campaign for VMI and what was known as the Sesquicentennial Campaign. In the late 1990s, he joined the leadership team of VMI’s third campaign, Reveille: A Call to Excel, an effort that by its conclusion in 2004 had raised $207.4 million for the Institute.

One project launched under Reveille’s auspices—the Jackson-Hope Fund for Academic Excellence—capped Luck’s service to VMI. Named after the Jackson-Hope Medal, the annual cadet award for the highest academic achievement, the fund supports innovation in VMI’s academic program and aids in the faculty’s development and expansion. Since 2000, donors have entrusted more than $38 million to it, and it has provided more than $21 million in grants.

George G. Phillips Jr. ’60, who was the chairman of Reveille as well as the founding president of the Jackson-Hope Fund, said of Luck, who served on the fund’s board from its inception until 2015, “Charlie Luck made a strongly positive difference in the many VMI organizations and efforts he was associated with throughout his life. I knew him best through Reveille and the Jackson-Hope Fund. In both cases, his advice and opinions were extremely valuable to me, and his devoted stewardship and unwavering generosity were keys to the success of both efforts.”

“VMI gave him so much,” recalled Luck ’83. “It instilled in him the values and standards he took forward in life. It shaped him and formed him into the man he grew into being. He so valued it that there was only one thing he liked better than working at our company: Working for VMI.”

Luck also was a generous donor to VMI. Among the highlights of his philanthropy was the establishment of a scholarship and Institute professorship and the funding of a weight room for the football team in honor of his father, another Institute professorship, and, along with Luck ’83, the Luck Family Fund for Leadership and Ethics.

Through his more than 50 years of generosity and service, Luck played an important role in the advancement of the Institute’s extraordinary education and strengthened the foundations for its future success. His many contributions had a profound effect on the lives of thousands of cadets—and will continue to do so for countless cadets in the future.

In 1997, he received the VMI Foundation Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his long service to VMI.

As well as Luck ’83, Luck is survived by two daughters, Cynthia L. Haw and Terrell L. Harrigan; eight grandchildren, including Richard S. Luck ’12; and two great-grandchildren.

Charles S. Luck III ’55 (left) and Charles S. Luck IV ’83 at one of the quarries associated with Luck Companies. “[T] here was only one thing he liked better than working at our company,” said Luck ’83. “Working for VMI.”—Scott K. Brown photo courtesy Luck Companies.