Mo Lucas honored on Citizen’s Memorial Wall
Photo by Todd Luck
The late Moses “Mo” Lucas was honored for mentoring generations of young people with a bronze plaque at Evergreen Cemetery that was unveiled Friday.
Evergreen, located on New Walkertown Road, is a city-owned cemetery and has had a Citizen’s Memorial Wall since 2009 to honor the contributions and accomplishments of community members. Lucas, an army veteran, was actually laid to rest at Salisbury National Cemetery when he passed away last year. He was a longtime fixture at the Winston Lake Family YMCA, which he started working for back when it was on Patterson Avenue. He worked with youth there as an employee and continued to do so as a volunteer after he retired. He started The Boss Drummers, the Y-Ettes and Y-Steppers. He mentored generations of youth there and was a revered father figure for many.
“He was really a part of the foundation of this community,” said YMCA of Northwest N.C. President and CEO Stan Law.
He was nominated for the honor by Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke, who also paid the $300 fee for the plaque.
“I am happy when we have citizens who give of themselves that we can pause to say ‘Thank You,’ ” said Burke.
Michael Terry was in the Y-Steppers and proudly counts himself among the young men Lucas mentored in the 1980s. He’s now president of the Mo Lucas Foundation, which keeps Lucas’ step team, drum line and dance team going.
“Mr. Lucas was a genuine man,” said Terry. “He was in the community for over 60 years at the YMCA. He raised countless young men and women in the community. He always gave back.”
Lucas is in prestigious company on the memorial wall. Included on the wall are plaques to master brickmaker George Black, funeral home owner Clark S. Brown Sr., beloved bus driver Clark Campbell (who the downtown bus station was named after) and fallen police officers Sgt. Howard Plouff and Sgt. Mickey Hutchens.
