The Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association (PGAA) will present its Volunteer Excellence award to Christopher J. Luccy, DMD, ’70, and posthumously to his wife, Barbara B. Luccy, RN, ’70. The awards will be presented as part of the Alumni Celebration Dinner planned for Saturday, Oct. 2, in the Hempfield Room at Pitt-Greensburg. Cocktails will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Please use this link for online registration to attend this event.
The PGAA Volunteer Excellence Award was established in 2009 to recognize alumni who volunteer their time to the PGAA and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. The award honors alumni who have dedicated a significant amount of personal time to attending alumni meetings and events, working on special projects, and contributing to the overall success of both the alumni association and the University it represents.
“The Volunteer Excellence Award is special because it is a recognition from our peers,” said Luccy about being selected to share this award with his late wife. “Barbara and I have always been very proud to be Pitt alumni. Working with students, faculty, and especially the staff, at Pitt-Greensburg has been very special. It has provided the opportunity to continue sharing knowledge and experience and to see the benefits of our efforts. I dearly miss my ‘better half,’ but she is always with me in spirit.”
Since 2016, he has served as a member of the PGAA Board of Directors. Recognized as the 2013 PGAA Alumnus of Distinction for his professional career achievements, Luccy currently chairs the Professional Development Committee, which plans events for both students and alumni. His six-year commitment to the Pitt-Greensburg Golf Outing planning committee contributes to the event’s success by securing silent auction items, donating to the event, and recruiting a foursome.
Prior to her unexpected death in December 2019, Barbara supported her husband’s volunteer service with the PGAA board and frequently attended its events. The couple, an integral part of the Pitt-Greensburg community, was among the first group of alumni to be highlighted in the Alumni Pawprints Poster project. The posters are displayed at various locations around campus and tell the stories of thriving alumni from across the generations and disciplines. Barbara’s presence will continue to be felt on campus as plans are underway to name a space in her honor in the new Life Sciences Building, currently under construction.
Luccy is particularly proud of having hosted, with Barbara, Dick Groat Day at Totteridge Golf Course in October 2019. The couple wanted to recognize Groat’s contributions to Pitt Athletics over many years and included a special spotlight of Pitt-Greensburg and its support of the community.
Fifty-five years ago, the Luccys met at Pitt-Greensburg as students. Luccy explained that he and Barbara bonded in their focus and met their academic and personal career goals, noting that the foundation for their success was their experiences at Pitt-Greensburg. Luccy went on to the University of Pittsburgh Dental School and completed a pediatric dental residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (now UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh). Barbara graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Nursing School and worked for two years at Magee Women’s Hospital (now UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital) as a staff and charge nurse. She then was recruited to and taught at Pitt’s Nursing School.
In 1971, Chris and Barbara married. In 1975, they moved back to Greensburg to serve the community in a pediatric dental practice. Luccy provided board-certified quality care for each child that was treated in his practice. Barbara managed the practice and supervised the patient-care services. She utilized her nursing skills to ensure the safety of all patients, especially medically compromised children and those needing sedation/anesthesia. For more than 40 years, the couple volunteered countless hours on the local, state, and national levels, focusing on children with special needs and multiple University of Pittsburgh programs. With time, their focus shifted to Pitt-Greensburg, where Luccy set up and Barbara developed a scholarship in honor of Dr. Norman McWhinney, professor emeritus of English at Pitt-Greensburg. The scholarship was awarded to third- and fourth-year Pitt-Greensburg students who demonstrated excellence in writing.
“I communicated; Barbara made things happen,” said Luccy. The Luccy children, Britt, Christopher, and Dana, vividly remember attending Pitt football games, fundraisers, and special events to help others--all initiated by their mother, Barbara.
“While this award is recognizing both my wife and me, our family proudly designates the award to Barbara for all of her volunteer service over the past 40 years,” said Luccy. “Our family sincerely thanks the PGAA and the Pitt-Greensburg community for this honor.”