Donald Alexander Lucas ’84 was born May 24, 1962, in Stanford, California to Lygia and Donald Leo Lucas. He grew up with his sisters Nancy ’74 and Allie in Atherton, and would later raise his family there with his wife Sarah ’90. He attended St. Joseph’s School, Charles Armstrong and Bellarmine. He received his B.A. from Santa Clara in 1984 and embarked on his 30-year career in venture capital.

Don met the love of his life, Sarah, over spring break at the Vintage Club in Indian Wells. They married in 1988 and began building their family. They named their first daughter Mary after Don’s grandmother Mary “Gogo” Lucas, the most pivotal person in his young life. His grandmother instilled in him a love of God, gardening, good spirits, and family. Jack soon joined his sister, followed by Kate and finally Henry. Don loved his children fiercely and was so proud to raise them as members of the community he loved. He was a lifetime member at the Menlo Circus Club and was the “mayor of Draeger’s,” always greeting the team by name. He often could be found hiking the Dish, lunching in the booth at Evvia, or popping into the Palantir buildings to grab an update and a new company t-shirt. His favorite nights were those spent with family and friends, though he rarely made it past 9pm.

Don was a proud second-generation venture capitalist, initially joining his father on Sand Hill Road. He then founded RWI Group in 1993 and Lucas Venture Group in 2007. He believed in the power of venture capital to make the world a better place. He invested in companies such as Oracle, Cadence, Palantir, Avinger, MightyNetworks, Berkeley Lights, Bossa Nova Robotics, Katerra, Pallet Shelter, and Finicast. He believed in supporting his entrepreneurs with any resources needed and loved representing his companies by sporting their logo wear. Fueled by his daughter Mary’s diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, Don was most proud of his role as a founding investor in Dexcom, the continuous glucose monitor that helps millions today. The Lucas Family hosted “Spring Fling” in Half Moon Bay for 12 years, an annual two-day event that raised money for diabetes research. He then welcomed into his office Beyond Type 1, which his wife co-founded in 2014.

Don adored his community at church and looked forward to each Sunday. He and his family attended Nativity, St. Denis, and Our Lady of the Wayside. He dedicated the gardens at St. Denis to his grandmother Gogo, and most recently enhanced the grounds at Our Lady of the Wayside.