Thomas A. Luckenbach

Thomas A. Luckenbach Obituary

Thomas A. Luckenbach, 87, of North Plainfield, NJ, loving husband and father of six, passed away on December 26, 2020.

Thomas was born on February 26, 1933, in Wilkes Barre, PA, to Anna and Theophilus Luckenbach. He received his PhD in Chemistry from Catholic University in June 1958. On May 16, 1959, he married Mary Anne Yagodinski. They raised three sons, Thomas, Robert, and David, and three daughters Julie, Laura and Caroline. He spent his career as a chemist with several companies, including DuPont, Toni, Huyck Felt Co., BFGoodrich, and Rheometrics. He was particularly proud of his work on developing the first red pigment for car paint that did not fade and the first no-lye hair straightener. Later in his career, his expertise extended to automobile tires and rheology.

Thomas grew up in Wilkes Barre, PA, with his parents and his elder sister, Eleanor. He went to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. for graduate school, where he met Mary Anne. Over the years, Thomas and Mary Anne lived and raised their children in Mount Prospect, IL, Delmar, NY, Silver Lake, OH, and North Plainfield, NJ. Thomas enjoyed woodworking, photography, writing, and birdwatching, and he was an active and devoted member of the Catholic Community of St. Joseph parish in North Plainfield. He was known for his friendly smile, good-natured humor, and kind and generous spirit.

Thomas was preceded in death by his father, Theophilus, and his mother, Anna. He is survived by his wife, Mary Anne Luckenbach of North Plainfield, his six children, Thomas (Suzanne) Luckenbach, Robert (Dana) Luckenbach, Julie (George) Kalmar, David (Denise) Luckenbach, Laurie (Brian) Canney, and Caroline (Philip) Moustakis, his sister Eleanor Janerich, and twelve grandchildren.

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, January 2, 2021, at The Catholic Community of St. Joseph Church, 99 Westervelt Ave, North Plainfield, NJ 07060, at 10 o’clock a.m.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to Market Street Mission, 9 Market St, Morristown, NJ 07960, 973-538-0431, www.marketstreet.org. Flowers may be sent to Scarpa Las Rosas Funeral Home, 22 Craig Place, North Plainfield, NJ 07060, 908-756-2693, www.scarpalasrosasfh.com.