Virginia Kaye Lukas

Virginia Kaye Lukas, age 74, of Champaign, Illinois, passed away peacefully at Carle Hospital in Urbana, Illinois on November 12, 2023 after battling pneumonia and sepsis. She was surrounded by family.

Virginia Kaye was born on February 26, 1949 in Antigo, Wisconsin. She was adopted by Orlin and Angeline Lukas. After Virginia Kaye graduated from Antigo High School in 1967, she went on to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

After completing a masters degree in Animal Science, Virginia Kaye began her 38 year career at the University of Illinois by performing heart research at the Harlan E. Moore Heart Research Foundation and the Burnsides Research Laboratory under Dr. Fred Kummerow, who is best known for finally persuading the FDA to ban artificial trans fats from the U.S. food supply in 2015. Later in her career, Virginia Kaye accepted a position at the Keck Center for Genomic Sequencing where she synthesized DNA and RNA needed for genetic research and sequencing. She retired from the university in 2010.

Virginia Kaye was an animal lover, a nature enthusiast, and an environmentalist. She enjoyed gardening, reading, the occasional travel, and writing her silly, annual Christmas letter that usually arrived in January.

Virginia Kaye was predeceased by her parents, Orlin and Angeline Lukas, her brother, Bobby Connor, her brother-in-law, Bill Warren, and her niece, Jennifer Hauke.

She is survived by her grandchildren, Daylin and Daijah Wilson, her children, Jamey Franklin and Angie Yamamoto, her brothers, Craig (Joel Fix) Lukas and Joseph (Lucy) Irish, her sister, Pat Warren, her sister-in-law, Judy Connor, and beloved nieces and nephews.

The visitation will be held on Friday, December 1, 2023 from 4:00 7:00 pm at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Champaign, Illinois 710 N Neil St. Champaign, Illinois 61820. The funeral will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 3:00 4:00 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 604 West Windsor Road, Champaign, Illinois. The funeral will also be accessible remotely via:

https://www.youtube.com/live/Uu_xf8BmGpk?si=ACQtXj5zl9Yzkxjt

Her cremains will be buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Champaign, Illinois at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Humanitarian Aid Fund, 604 West Windsor Road, Champaign, Illinois 61820 or the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, 2221 East Ashboro Road, Center Point, Indiana 47840 (https://efrc.org).

Services Memorial Visitation Friday December 1, 2023 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Sunset Funeral Home & Cremation Center Champaign-Urbana Chapel 710 N. Neil Street Champaign, , IL 61820 Funeral Service Saturday December 2, 2023 3:00 PM Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints 604 W. Windsor Rd. Champaign, IL 61820