Future Scholars Will Be Luckey
Mike and Denise Luckey have known each other since the eighth grade. They remained friends throughout high school, but it wasn't until they went to different colleges - Denise to Virginia Tech and Mike to Old Dominion University, that they realized there might be more between them than merely friendship. It was a letter that Denise wrote to Mike that changed everything for the young couple. "I framed the letter and it hangs in our bedroom," said Mike. "We wouldn't be together today if Denise hadn't written to me."
Afterward, Mike asked Denise to transfer to ODU where he was majoring in business. By the next semester, Denise had moved back home to Hampton and was taking classes at Old Dominion to pursue her dream of working with animals.
The couple graduated from Old Dominion University in 1989, Mike from the College of Business and Public Administration, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in economics, and Denise from the College of Sciences. They were married in 1995. Today, Mike is a supervisor at Sam's Club in Western Branch, and Denise was led to the Virginia Zoological Park where she works with the African mammals and trains elephants!
Mike and Denise love all things Old Dominion, but especially athletics. At games the Luckeys can be found dressed in their ODU gear. They follow the different teams, and Denise can tick off the names, positions and statistics of current and former players. So, when the time came to begin their estate planning, the couple knew they wanted to include ODU in those plans. The Luckeys named Old Dominion University as the remainder beneficiary of their insurance plans and IRAs. Mike said it was easy — they simply filled out beneficiary forms.
The Luckeys' future gifts will provide a scholarship for athletes in the College of Business and Public Administration and the College of Sciences. "We are appreciative for the generous support of Mike and Denise Luckey," said Athletic Director Wood Selig. "Through a very creative gift, they will positively impact future student-athletes at ODU who have an interest in studying Business and/or Science, thereby also aiding those academic disciplines on campus as well. I am grateful to have such outstanding donor leadership from the Luckeys."
Have you made a provision to leave a future gift to Old Dominion University? If so, please let us know so we may thank you. Please contact Barbara M. Henley, CFRE at 757/683-6563 or bhenley@odu.edu or Brett A. Smiley, CFRE at 757-683-4735 or bsmiley@odu.edu.