Dolores O. Luckow

July 29, 1941 – December 10, 2012

If the Devil is in the details, then the Devil was an employee of Dolores Luckow. From designing couture gowns to nurturing her friends’ and family’s dreams, Dolores Luckow paid attention to the intricacies of life. When Dolores had a hand in a project, it was done to her impeccable standards. She wanted and knew what was the best for everyone in her life, transforming customers into her ideal of beauty and changing the way they viewed themselves, as well as convincing the most insecure of us that we, too, could be “real” Spanish speakers.

A compassionate woman unable to mask a single emotion, Dolores had a fierce sense of loyalty to her friends and family. She always had something to give -- whether a piece of advice (which she gave on every topic under the sun) or her time, she did so without holding anything back. A benevolent force of Mother Nature, she genuinely and generously and insistently cared for and nurtured everyone in her life.

A beloved wife, mother, sister, friend, and “diva,” she died from injuries sustained after falling off a ladder while trying to retrieve Christmas decorations. She passed away surrounded by friends and family. If the wealthy in this country are 1%, she was in that category of emotional wealth and ability. A registered organ donor, her family feels she heard the criteria necessary for internal organ donation that only 1% of the population can achieve. She made it happen overnight, the time of the day she always felt she did her best work. Her family is grateful that her last wish was fulfilled donating eyes, bones, tissue, kidneys, and a liver that reflected her healthy and fit lifestyle.

Born to privilege in Mexico City to Carlos M. Ojeda and Maria Dolores Ojeda M., Dolores learned to sew, knit, tat, and embroider when she was 4 years old, all skills considered an essential part of a well-rounded Mexican education. As a child, she enthusiastically designed and made clothes for her dolls, sewed her school uniforms and by the age of 16, designed and made all her party and evening gowns. She created haute couture and one-of-a-kind designs for wedding gowns, skating costumes, and beauty pageant dresses at her business Originals by Dolores O. Luckow. She was a member of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals. Always up to the challenge of creating a unique design, she was one of the most sought-after custom clothiers in the Northwest.

A beautifully gifted and compassionate woman, Dolores brought her enthusiasm for life to everything she did. She and her husband, Gerald, who would have celebrated 50 years of marriage on Dec. 27, were members of the Horseless Carriage Club of America. They have traveled to every continent except Antarctica, and enjoyed countless adventures along the way including taking the Trans Siberian Train to the last outpost on the railroad, climbing to the top of Wayna Picchu for the best view of Macchu Picchu, marveling over her favorite city, Paris, at the top of the Arc de Triumphe, visiting historical places and insisting that everywhere she went, she was a temporary local.

A gregarious woman, Dolores quickly made friendships with whomever she met from the classmates in aerobics class to the students in the Spanish classes she taught through Clackamas Community College for more than 35 years.

An excellent example for her exquisite imagination can be found in her miniature dollhouse collection where she created elaborate stories for her dolls that she used to help teach Spanish.

A renegade spirit, she fell in love with Gerald Luckow when he was a student in Mexico City. She left her opulent lifestyle to move with him to Centralia, Washington where she learned to garden, bake and corral the cows back into the pasture despite high heels. She brought her unabashed enthusiasm to life in everything she did and she made sure whatever she did, she did it to her best abilities.

She was proceeded in death by her parents and her brothers Carlos T. Ojeda and Edel Ojeda. She is survived by her husband, Gerald Luckow, her son, Duanne Luckow; her daughter, Sandra Luckow; Juanito; her brother, Jaime Ojeda; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held at The Milwaukie Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive. Milwaukie, OR 97222 on Monday, December 17, 2012. In lieu of flowers, a college savings account has been opened for Dolores’ “adopted granddaughter” at Bank of America GRANDAUGHTER MATAYA c/o Julie Passon Acct. # 485008867475.

Dolores will be missed by many people including her students, her friends, and her family

Written by Sandy Luckow, Dolores' daughter