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Joy Lucas

1917 – 2011

American ski instructor

SkierSki teacher
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About Joy Lucas

Lived 1917 – 2011 (aged 93–94). Joy Lucas was a skier and ski teacher.

Lucky Valentine Joy Lucas, also known as Joy Lucas (1917–2011) was an American ski instructor and author. She was the first woman certified as a ski instructor in the United States.

Life Joy Piles was born on February 15, 1917, in Spokane, Washington. Her parents worked for the United States Forest Service at Barlow Pass.

She began skiing in 1938, and married Jim Lucas. From 1940 the couple ran the Deer Valley Ski Lodge together in the Olympic Mountains. Joy Lucas was certified as a professional ski instructor in 1941. After World War II the couple managed Milwaukee Ski Bowl. She taught at Snoqualmie for 27 years, and only retired from ski instruction in 1992 at the age of 75.

She died in Seward Park, the neighborhood she lived in most of her life, in Seattle, Washington on November 25, 2011.

Books It Started in the Mountains: A history of Pacific Northwest ski instructors. Professional Ski Instructors of America-NW, 1996. Ancient Skiers of the Pacific Northwest. 2006.

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Important facts

Born
1917
Birth century
Occupation
Skier, ski teacher
Also known as
Joy Piles Lucas, Lucky Joy Lucas

People in Joy Lucas's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Joy Lucas's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Joy Lucas?

American ski instructor

When was Joy Lucas born?

Joy Lucas was born in 1917.

When did Joy Lucas die?

Joy Lucas died on 25 November 2011.

What was Joy Lucas's occupation?

Joy Lucas was a skier and ski teacher.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Joy Lucas

· Wikidata: Q107465993

· DBpedia: Joy Lucas (ski instructor)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joy Lucas. https://biography.guide/joy-lucas/

MLA: "Joy Lucas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joy-lucas/.

Chicago: "Joy Lucas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joy-lucas/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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