Obituary of Lucas Isidro

Lucas "Luke" Isidro of Riverside, CT passed away at home on Monday, May 1st surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Havana, Cuba in 1944 to the late Angel and Josefa (Pombo) Isidro. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Ellen McNeill Isidro, children Judith Isidro Dickson (Walter), Christopher Isidro (Connie), Edward Isidro (Deborah), Daniel Isidro (Robin) and grand children Ragan Dickson, Lucas B., Kaitlynn and Timothy Isidro. He is also survived by his brothers Angel and Juan Isidro and many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.
Luke came to the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor from Cuba in 1961 at the age of 16, as part of the Operation Pedro Pan program. This program of the U.S. State Department and Catholic Charities was created to help children of Cuban families who feared for their future under the Castro regime. After a brief stay in Miami, Luke was sent to an orphanage, the Mission of Mt. Loretto, in Staten Island, NY. Within a short time, his mother and older siblings were able to come to the US, and the family reunited in Stamford, which became their home. 

Luke worked in many factory and hospital jobs to help support his mother and obtained a GED from the Stamford Public Schools. He married Ellen, became a US citizen as soon as he was able to, and went on to become a Police Officer in Stamford for 32 years. He was the first Latino officer on the force. While raising a family and working full-time as a Police Officer, he earned degrees in Law Enforcement from Norwalk Community College and Iona College. After retirement from the Police department Luke went on to work as an investigator for several years at the CT Division of Public Defender Services. During his work career and in retirement, Luke continually did everything possible to give back to the country and community that welcomed him. 

Luke served on Boards and in other leadership roles for the Connecticut State Board of Education, Stamford Police Association, Spanish Community Center, Stamford Red Cross, Stamford Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union, Catholic Charities, and the Stamford Public Schools Task Force for Bilingual Education. He also served as the Vice Chair of the Stamford Democratic City Committee. During his terms of office as Justice of the Peace (one of his favorite roles!) he performed hundreds of marriage ceremonies, often for immigrant couples. 

Visitation will be on Sunday, May 6 from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., prayer service at 4:30 p.m., at Thomas M. Gallagher Funeral Home, (next to the Knights of Columbus) 453 Shippan Avenue, Stamford, CT (203)-359-9999.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Luke's memory to the Stamford Senior Center, 888 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT 06901 (stamfordseniorct.org) or Building One Community, 75 Selleck St. Stamford CT 06902 (Building1Community.org).
Please visit www.gallagherfuneralhome.com to extend personal condolences to the family.