Rosalie Lucas, resident of Riverview for 60 years and wife of Geoff for 62 years, has passed away after a very full and happy life, and a lifetime of giving back to her community.
Christine Butters OAM has kindly written the following for In the Cove.
Devoted Wife and Mother
Rosalie was born in Mosman, the eldest of six daughters. She attended Scots Kirk with her family, and this was where her interest in music started. Her high schooling at Queenwood added further interests through the study of literature and ancient history.
Rosalie and Geoff had been friends throughout their high school years, married in 1963, and settled in Riverview, where they raised their four children, Philip, Meredith, Roger, and Tony.
Rosalie was a very active mother during the primary school years at Lane Cove Public, involved with canteen, P & C and, with her four children learning instruments, secretary of the Music Committee.
Rosalie loved the sound of the clarinet so much that she decided to pursue this interest. This was something ‘independent’ of her family activities. Rosalie attended the Sydney Conservatorium, was taught by the Chair of Woodwind, Mark Walton and also passed all eight grades of the AMEB Musicianship exams.
She then taught clarinet at Arden Anglican School and Rudolf Steiner School at Middle Cove, as well as a few students at home. The teaching enhanced her understanding of the instrument and its music-making.
North Sydney Symphony Orchestra Life Member
Rosalie joined the North Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1995 and was made a Life Member in 2005. She had discovered the joy of making music with others. She was also greatly appreciated for taking on the role of cataloguing the orchestra’s entire music library, which for years had just been stored in a cupboard. She even sought copies of instrumental parts that were missing to make the score complete.
Lane Cove Concert Band
After leaving the Orchestra, Rosalie missed playing with others, so she joined the Lane Cove Concert Band (now known as the Lane Cove Community Band).
In 2009, she volunteered to research and write a book to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the band. This was a three-year task, finding information, old programmes and photos, identifying names of those in photos and seeking permission to use the photos.
The result was a 185-page book, “Lane Cove Concert Band – the First 50 years 1963-2013.”
Lane Cove Music Life Member
At the same time, Rosalie had joined Lane Cove District Music Club, now Incorporated, where she served on the committee for 25 years as Publicity Officer and 20 years as co-Musical Director, helping to arrange a series of six classical and semi-classical concerts each year.
During Lane Cove Music’s 75th Anniversary in 2020, Rosalie researched and wrote the history of Lane Cove Music, available on the Club’s website.
For her many years of commitment to Lane Cove Music, Rosalie was made a Life Member in 2015.
Rosalie was still actively involved with Lane Cove Music until last month. The concerts will continue – the next one will be a wind quintet – with Rosalie’s favourite instrument, the clarinet. Windfall’s concert is at 7.30 pm on Tuesday, 12 August at Lane Cove Mowbray Anglican Church – more information here.
Rosalie will be lovingly remembered and thanked at this concert. Her love of music enriched her life, and she shared this pleasure with so many.
Archaeology Digs
Another of Rosalie’s great loves from school was Ancient History. This led her to Jordan in 2001 to a dig organised by Sydney University’s Department of Archaeology. She was warned about the heat and that the accommodation for three weeks would be very basic dormitory style, but was not deterred.
Exceeding all expectations, Rosalie’s careful trowel work revealed a pottery handle. With advice from her leader the dirt was slowly removed from around the whole vessel revealing a perfect amphora – a two handled jar used to store wine or oil in the Bronze Age. A truly remarkable find.
Rosalie’s next dig was in 2003 in Uzbekistan, but this dig did not reveal a huge ‘find’ as in Jordan. However, as Uzbekistan was on the Silk Road, this trip enabled Rosalie to explore other famous archaeological sites such as Samarkand, Tashkent and Bukhara.
Greenwich Flying Squadron Life Membership
After their youngest son turned 21, Geoff and Rosalie bought a yacht and Rosalie joined Geoff to sail from the Greenwich Flying Squadron.
In 1999, Rosalie published “The Greenwich Flying Squadron – the First 75 Years 1924-1999”.
When the Greenwich Flying Squadron celebrated its Centenary in 2024, Rosalie assisted in researching and compiling the intervening 25 years’ history. She was awarded Life Membership of Greenwich Flying Squadron only a few weeks ago for her volunteering and contribution to the running of the sailing club over many years.
Lane Cove Citizen of the Year 2015
Rosalie was acknowledged and thanked for her volunteering both in and outside Lane Cove with the award of Lane Cove Citizen of the Year in 2015.
The citation noted, along with her commitment to music and sailing, her 35 years of volunteering with Meals on Wheels, her 9 years as a Cub Leader in the Tambourine Bay Sea Scout Group and her decades of donating blood to the Red Cross.
Unwavering Community Supporter
Rosalie leaves behind a loving and supportive husband, four children and their spouses, seven grandchildren, three sisters, many friends, three “histories” and a community she enriched in so many ways.
Rosalie’s unwavering commitment to her community, her loyalty, and her willingness to give of her time and energy reflect her amazing character and her outlook on life.
She was a faithful friend, easy-going and good company. She will be greatly missed and not forgotten.
Rosalie’s funeral will be held at 1.30 pm on Thursday, 21 August in the Camellia Chapel of Macquarie Park Crematorium.
Thank you to Christine Butters OAM for sharing Rosalie Lucas’s remarkable achievements.
Thank you to Rosalie from the In the Cove team for providing us with all the information on the Lane Cove Music programme for many years.
