TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

January/February 2005

In Memoriam

William R. “Bill” Lucius, Original MTC Commissioner

Bill Lucius

MTC Commissioner Emeritus William R. “Bill” Lucius, a decorated veteran of World War II, died after a battle with cancer on December 8, 2004, at age 90.

Following careers in the Marines (where he served 24 years) and the food industry, Lucius devoted his energies to civic service, with a strong commitment to the development of the San Francisco Bay Area’s transportation network. With 20 years of service on MTC, Lucius was the longest-serving commissioner in the agency’s history, starting with the Commission’s founding in 1971 and continuing until his retirement from MTC in 1991.

From 1980 to 1983, Lucius served as MTC’s chair, and for much of his MTC tenure chaired the Legislation and Public Affairs Committee. Upon his retirement from the Commission, the agency named its primary conference room in his honor.

Lucius served on the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board of Directors from 1969 to 1978 as a Sonoma County representative. Lucius also was active on a number of state and national bodies, and in 1994, the American Public Transportation Association inducted him into its prestigious Transit Hall of Fame.

The state Legislature also recognized Lucius’ many contributions to transportation, in 1990 designating a 22.3-mile stretch of Highway 101 from south of Healdsburg to the Sonoma-Mendocino county line as the “Colonel William R. ‘Bill’ Lucius Highway.”

A resident of Healdsburg, Lucius was a wine connoisseur and a self-appointed ambassador for Sonoma County’s wine industry. “He had this gregarious nature,” said former MTC Executive Director Lawrence D. Dahms. “Bill Lucius and a bottle of wine got into nearly every door that needed to be opened.”

Dahms also reminisced about Lucius’ Old World good manners. “Bill was forever writing people notes. He believed in connecting and believed in remembering, and it was effective,” he said.

At the local level, Lucius served on the Healdsburg City Council and served four terms as mayor of Healdsburg, earning the designation of “Mayor Emeritus.”

Lucius served in the United States Marine Corps from 1932 to 1956, attaining the rank of colonel. He survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and served as a gunnery sergeant during the Battle of Midway. Until his passing, he was reportedly the last U.S. Marine survivor of that historic battle.

Lucius is survived by his wife May, daughter Alexis Michelle Rosa, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
— Brenda Kahn

The family suggests donations to:
Kaiser Permanente Oncology Fund
401 Bicentennial Way
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

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