Samuel Joseph Lucia (Sam), 90, died in his sleep at home on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in Orange, Texas. He was the son of John J. Lucia, Sr. and Celestine (Malley) Lucia, who preceded him in death. His only sibling and best friend was his little brother, John J. Lucia, Jr. (wife Glenda).
Sam was born in Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beaumont, Texas. He attended St. Mary's Catholic School in Orange for the first 10 grades and then graduated from Lutcher Stark High School, also in Orange. He attended Lamar State College in Beaumont and played 3rd base for the Lamar Cardinals. He graduated with a BBA in Business in 1957 after which time he entered his parents' business, Sabine Food Town, in Orange.
In 1958 he married Carmen Elaine Mires at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Orange and they went on to celebrate 67 years of marriage.They have three children, Celeste Williams (Mark), John Lucia, and Cynthia Lucia.
After Sabine Food Town, Sam spent the next thirty years employed in the commercial insurance industry.
Sam was a 30 year member of the Orange Lion's Club and enjoyed being involved in the Lion's Club carnival every year. He was also a life member of the Knights of Columbus. In recent years he enjoyed participating in the St. Joseph Altar every March at St. Mary's Parish Hall in Orange, which celebrated his Sicilian heritage.
Sam's favorite activity was meeting his baby brother almost daily for coffee and to run their errands around Orange, even stopping off to visit friends and extended family. Fishing, vegetable gardening, spending time at the family beach house, traveling around the USA and to Europe, (mainly to Sicily to visit his Meli cousins (American name "Malley") were also some of his other favorite activities. His travel included most major cities in Italy, Spain, France, Malta, Portugal, Greece, and Ireland, as well as the Rock of Gibraltar and London, England.
Sam was one of the founding members of St. Francis Catholic Church and one of the first members of its Pastoral Council.
In addition to his immediate family, Sam had many nieces, nephews, and cousins left to cherish his memory.
A visitation will be held in the chapel of Claybar Funeral Home, 504 N. 5th Street, in Orange, on Friday, February 20, 2026, beginning at 5:00pm with a Rosary at 6:00pm. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:00am at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 912 W. Cherry Avenue, Orange, with burial to follow at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, 4320 Meeks Drive, also in Orange.
The Rosary and Mass for Sam Lucia will both be livestreamed for the ones who are unable to make it. The livestream can be found under his obituary on https://www.claybarfuneralhome.com/obituaries/samuel-joseph-lucia.