Tamara Luchini Obituary

Tamara Luchini

Tamara Ruth Wyckoff was born at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, July 8, 1948, and died at McLaren Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, Thursday, January 23, 2025. Raised by parents who stressed the importance of education and being responsible for the natural consequences of her actions, Tamara learned to be a good worker, to care for others, and to live a happy life.

After graduating from Ashland High School (Ohio), Tamara earned a BS in Zoology from the University of Michigan, where she met her husband, John Remo Luchini. They were married at St. Mary's Student Chapel in Ann Arbor May 1, 1971.

Moving to Findlay, Ohio, in 1977 for John's work in research at Cooper Tire Company, they began their family, which grew to include five children of their own, as well as many others who frequently visited their home over the years. John retired early, and they enjoyed a few years of retirement living together before his death in 2013. In 2019, Tamara returned to Michigan, dividing her time between her family in Okemos and Glen Eagle Retirement Community in Traverse City.

During her years in Ann Arbor, Tamara worked as a research assistant for Bendix Aerospace and then as a technical writer in computers for the University of Michigan. For the first 18 years in Findlay, she offered in-home daycare to other families, providing each of her children with companions during their preschool years. For 20 years, she volunteered at St. Michael Parish in many capacities, including eight years as musical director for Sunday School program, six years hosting high school religious studies, 16 years as editor of the monthly parish newsletter, eight years as recording secretary for parish council, helped coordinate parish involvement in a diocesan synod and sesquicentennial celebrations, ending with five years as parish development director working on the strategic planning and capital campaign for a new church and school.

Music was always in her life. Starting piano lessons at the age of eight, she began as the pianist for her junior high and high school choirs and played as the rehearsal and orchestra pianist for 25 high school musicals. John taught her to play guitar; they led a folk group at Mass every Sunday for ten years as well as providing music for over 150 weddings. Continuing piano lessons throughout her Findlay years, Tamara concentrated on classical piano, with Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin among her favorite composers. During her years at Glen Eagle, she donated a grand piano and played for residents Sunday afternoons, offering a mix of classical pieces, more modern movie themes and songs, and "golden oldies." Insisting these were "practice" sessions rather than recitals allowed her to stop and fix a mistake if it irritated her enough.

Beginning in 1995, Tamara began writing a monthly article to journal her thoughts on family, marriage, parenting, faith, and living a full, productive, and happy existence. Shared with many eager readers, these Swing Time articles were gathered and published in two volumes by her daughter Nan.

Tamara was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Kathleen (Vincent) Wyckoff; and her husband of 42 years, John Luchini. In addition to her siblings, James and Teresa Wyckoff Szur, she is survived by her children and grandchildren, Dirk and Katy Luchini Colbry (Tamara "Catt", Grace, John, Kenneth); Mark and Dolly Luchini (Andrew, Alexander, Aurora, Amelia), De'Andre and Nan Nixon (Nevaeh), Tim and Sara Luchini (Austin), and Franklin Luchini; as well as children of her heart, Robert Boyle and Salmi Aguero. Funeral arrangements will be private for family.

A reader, gardener, writer, musician, volunteer, childcare provider, wife, mother, and grandmother ("Mum"), Tamara was grateful to have lived amongst beauty and love and felt blessed to have lived her dreams. After cremation, she will lie with her husband at Evergreen Cemetery, Kingsley, Michigan, under a shared marker that carries the secret of their happy marriage: "Always Kiss Me Goodnight."

Memorial service honoring Tamara will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. You can watch the service at rjfh.tv. She will be laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery. Kindly share thoughts and memories with her family at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.