The Caribbean island of Saint Lucia is mourning the loss of British-born rugby pioneer John Eric Lucas, who passed away on November 1 at age 85. His funeral service on November 28 at Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in La Clery brought together family, athletes, and business leaders to honor his transformative impact on the island’s sporting culture.
Lucas arrived in Saint Lucia in the 1970s through his accounting work with the Commonwealth Development Corporation, serving as secretary accountant of LUCELEC. Though offered opportunities to return to Africa after his contract, he chose to remain on the island, captivated by its people and culture. He subsequently joined Minvelle & Chastenet Limited, where he rose to finance director and formed a pivotal partnership with managing director Fred Devaux.
His sporting legacy began through collaboration with Canadian educators including Millar Young from Castries Comprehensive Secondary School. Lucas leveraged his administrative skills and community connections to establish rugby’s foundation on the island. As former national player Michael Pierre recalled: ‘He was in the rugby administration when I played, and he was also a top rugby official.’
The Saint Lucia Rugby Club flourished under his guidance, hosting international teams and traveling to neighboring territories including Barbados, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. Although the sport experienced a decline in the late 1980s, Lucas lived to see its resurgence over the past two decades.
Beyond sports, Lucas was celebrated for his charitable work and community dedication. Saint Lucia Olympic Committee President Alfred Emmanuel noted: ‘Surely he was one of the pioneers of the sport in Saint Lucia… He used his connections to get locals involved in the sport, and the rest is history.’
His family described him as ‘a very outgoing and charismatic man’ whose passion for sports led to numerous socially beneficial initiatives, including his role as vice president of the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce. His son Christopher Eric Lucas remembered him as ‘a kind and compassionate man, hardly ever without a smile on his face.’
The Saint Lucia Rugby Football Union, represented by president Roger Butcher and former player Lyndell Norville, paid formal tribute at his memorial service, acknowledging Lucas’s enduring legacy in establishing rugby as part of the island’s sporting identity.