Kenneth Bruce Lucas, 75, of Hutchinson, died February 1, 2022, at his home.

Born in Wichita, to Bruce and Nadine Lucas, Kenny moved with the family to Hutchinson in 1958, and lived in Hutch for the rest of his life.  A 1964 graduate of Hutchinson High School, he graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1968. He then enlisted in the Army and trained in the Army postal system, eventually serving in Vietnam. He chronicled his time in Vietnam with beautiful photographs of the country and audio cassettes that he sent home to his family, which meant a lot to them. After his Army service he returned to school and received a master's degree in U.S. history from the University of Kansas.

Kenny was for many years a janitor at the Reno County Courthouse. He worked nights, which left his days free for intellectual pursuits. He had passions for history, math and current events, and had taken 100 hours of courses beyond his graduate degree in such fields as political science, geography, computer science, urban planning and economics. He kept a blog, wrote opinion pieces for online magazines and, in his later years, cared faithfully for a band of neighborhood cats. An avid gardener with a green thumb, he enjoyed recycling all kinds of things into unique planters.

Kenny was preceded in death by his brother, Steven, of Ellsworth. He is survived by a sister, Rebecca Hughes, of Fort Worth, TX, and a brother, Thomas and his wife, Kathryn Schwille, of Charlotte, NC. He is also survived by a nephew, Randall Hughes, wife Nichole and their son Sam, of Harper's Ferry, WV, and a niece, Kelley Hughes, husband Shawn Higgins and their children Everett and Willa, of Fort Worth.

Graveside service will be 10:30 am Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at Fairlawn Burial Park. A family celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to Mosaic of Ellsworth, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.