Tamara Ruth Luchini

Tamara Ruth Wyckoff was born at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, on July 8th, 1948, and died at McLaren Hospital in Lansing, Michigan on January 23, 2025. Raised by parents who stressed the importance of education and being responsible for the natural consequences of her actions, Tamara learned to be a good worker, to care for others, and to live a happy life.

After graduating from Ashland High School (Ohio), Tamara earned a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Michigan, where she met her husband, John Remo Luchini. They were married at St. Mary's Student Chapel in Ann Arbor on May 1st, 1971.

Moving to Findlay, Ohio, in 1977, for John's work in research at Cooper Tire Company, they began their family, which grew to 5 children of their own, plus many others who frequented their home through the years. John retired early and they enjoyed a few years of retirement living together before his death in 2013. In 2019 Tamara returned to Michigan, dividing her time between her family in Okemos and Glen Eagle Retirement Community in Traverse City.

During her years in Ann Arbor Tamara worked as a research assistant for Bendix Aerospace and then as a technical writer in computers for the University of Michigan. For the first 18 years in Findlay, she offered in-home day care for other families to provide each of her children with companions during their preschool years. For 20 years she volunteered at St. Michael Parish in many capacities, including 8 years as musical director for the Sunday School program, 6 years hosting high school religious studies, 16 years as editor of the monthly parish newsletter, 8 years as recording secretary for parish council, helped coordinate parish involvement in a diocesan synod and sesquicentennial celebrations, ending with 5 years as parish development director working on the strategic planning and capital campaign for a new church/school.

Music was always in her life. Starting piano lessons at the age of 8, she began as the pianist for her junior high and high school choirs and played as the rehearsal and orchestra pianist for 25 high school musicals. John taught her to play guitar; they led a folk group for Mass every Sunday for ten years as well as providing music for over 150 weddings. Continuing piano lessons throughout her Findlay years, Tamara concentrated on classical piano, with Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin among her favorite composers. During her years at Glen Eagle, she donated a grand piano and played for residents on Sunday afternoons, offering a mix of classical pieces, more modern movie themes and songs, and "golden oldies." Insisting these were "practice" sessions rather than recitals allowed her to stop and fix a mistake if it irritated her enough.

Beginning in 1995 Tamara began writing a monthly article to journal her thoughts on family, marriage, parenting, faith and living a full, productive, and happy existence. Shared with many eager readers, these Swing Time articles were gathered and published in two volumes by her daughter Nan.

Tamara was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Kathleen (Vincent) Wyckoff and her husband of 42 years, John Luchini. In addition to her siblings James and Teresa Wyckoff Szur, she is survived by her children and grandchildren: Dirk and Katy Luchini Colbry (Tamara "Catt", Grace, John, Kenneth); Mark and Dolly Luchini (Andrew, Alexander, Aurora, Amelia), De'Andre and Nan Nixon (Nevaeh), Tim and Sara Luchini (Austin), and Franklin Luchini, as well as children of her heart Robert Boyle and Salmi Agüero. Funeral arrangements will be private for the family.

A reader, gardener, writer, musician, volunteer, child care provider, wife, mother and grandmother ("Mum"), Tamara was grateful to have lived amongst beauty and love and felt blessed to have lived her dreams. After cremation, she will lie with her husband in Evergreen Cemetery, Kingsley, Michigan, under a shared marker that carries the secret of their happy marriage: "Always Kiss Me Goodnight."

A memorial service honoring Tamara will be held at 11am on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at The Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home with a visitation starting at 10am. She will be laid to rest at the Evergreen Cemetery. Kindly share thoughts and memories with her family and to view her full obituary please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .