LUKASZEWSKI--Barbara. 1944-2019.

Barbara Ann Bray Lukaszewski passed away peacefully on July 23rd, 2019. The Sunshine Girl now lives in our hearts and memories. Mother, grandmother, businesswoman, editor, active citizen, dental hygienist, lifelong ambassador of happiness, optimism, generosity, perfection, good grammar, honesty, candor and the upside of everything. She loved chocolate, ice cream, and brownies, preferably in combination, and desserts in general. Her thrift skills will become a family legend. Her personal motto was "Let's make this work." A conversation with (or note from) Barbara would be the residual happiness for your day.

Barbara was born August 24, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from Robbinsdale high school in 1962 as a National Honors Society scholar and received her RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist) degree with honors from Sigma Phi Alpha, the Dental Hygiene Honor Society, in 1964, from the University of Minnesota Dental School. On December 18, 1964, she and her husband James Edmund Lukaszewski of Robbinsdale, Minnesota were married at Faith Lilac Way Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale. She worked in dentistry for 14 years, first in the offices of Dr. Lyle Brecht in downtown Minneapolis and then with Dr. Duane Sween in Robbinsdale. In 1978 she co-founded Media Information Systems Corporation with her husband and served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) until it merged with Brum & Anderson Public Relations in 1984. She and James relocated to New York in 1986 and worked for Chester Burger Company in Manhattan until 1990 when they co-founded The Lukaszewski Group, Inc. in White Plains, New York. She served as COO until her retirement in 2010, after which she and James returned to Minnesota. Over the years, Barbara served as an officer on a variety of community boards. In the early 70's, she was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of Brooklyn Park. In the mid-70's she was appointed to serve for a year on a county Grand Jury, an experience she found transformative.

Barbara is preceded in death by her parents Clifford Lawrence Bray, Ruth Bjork Bray Beckman, and step father Earl Beckman. She is survived by her husband James; her sons Charles Todd Lukaszewski (Sahar El-Etr) of San Jose, California and James Moir Alexander (Merideth) of Chappaqua, New York; grandchildren Molly, Emily, Hudson and Omar; her sister Bonny Skovbroten (John); her sisters-in-law Nan Benner (Richard, deceased), Judy Jasperson (Robert), Wendy Lukaszewski (Jack Weber); as well as many nieces, grand nieces, nephews and grand nephews.

A private interment ceremony will be held for the family at Glen Haven Memorial Gardens in Crystal, MN.

Memorials and gifts: The family prefers all memorial gifts to the Lukaszewski Family Professional Development Fund, c/o The Metropolitan State University Foundation, 700 E. 7th St., St. Paul, MN 55106 foundation@metrostate.edu 651-793-1802.

We’ll see you next month with a regular edition.