Robert Lyall Lucas

Robert Lyall Lucas (20 February 1927, Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK – 5 January 2009, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK) was a British mycologist, botanist, and phytopathologist. He was the president of the British Mycological Society for one year from 1976 to 1977.

Biography After secondary education at Bedford School, Lucas attended New College, Oxford, where he graduated with a B.A. in botany in 1949 and an M.A. in 1952. On 28 June 1952 he married Pamela Widdowson. He was admitted to King's College, Cambridge, where he studied fungi that infect plant roots and graduated with a Ph.D. in 1953. Lucas served for more than 20 years as Curator of the University Parks. During his curatorship he dealt with Dutch elm disease, the Great Storm of 1987, and the abolition in 1991 of Parson's Pleasure. who served under the Senior Proctor. Lucas served from 1971 to 1973 as Curator of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and subsequently as Garden Master from 1984 to 1987.

His wife Pamela was for many years a churchwarden at the Church of St Nicholas, Old Marston. He assisted her in church affairs and was an active church member for more than 45 years. Upon his death in 2009 he was survived by his widow, their son and daughter, and five grandchildren.

Selected publications