Rest in Peace, Donna Lucas

I didn't know Donna Lucas. I know Tim mostly from his work, which has greatly influenced me as a fan of the horror genre. Tim's writing in Fangoria and Gorezone introduced me to the works of Dario Argento and Mario Bava. And many others.

I enjoyed the Lucas magazine, Video Watchdog, and I also like Tim's fiction. I particularly enjoyed The Man With Kaleidoscope Eyes and Throat Sprockets.

I know Tim and Donna were a team. Their love was evident from Tim's social media activity.

I was off work the other day, and my wife Clara unfortunately had to go in. I was excited to see a movie. I stopped at our favorite Thai restaurant before the show. While there I saw the shocking news. Donna Lucas had suddenly passed away.

I lost my breath and felt like I was gut-punched.

I have a little in common with Tim Lucas. I'm definitely a junior member of the horror journalism set. I make my living as a toolmaker for the Navy. However, I have been writing about the genre for twenty years, and I have a couple of nonfiction books under my belt.

Clara is my rock. She's my biggest cheerleader, but she also reins me back in when I am going off course. None of this would be possible without her. Sure, I had the site before I met her, but her help with my He Who Types Between the Rows books has been incalculable. They simply would not exist without her.

I think Donna was the same for Tim. The quiet but essential strength in the background. The one who keeps the train rolling. Me and Tim get the credit for the things under our bylines, but Clara and Donna made it possible.

I cannot imagine what Tim is going through. If I suddenly lost Clara I would be beyond devastated. We essentially have no friends. A few, sure, but our lives are our work and each other.

We all know it's coming. One day death will take us all. I only hope it isn't as sudden as it happened for Tim. His Facebook posts are heartbreaking. I gather Donna was the business end of the partnership. Tim will have to learn that part of it or shut it all down.

I skipped the theater that day. My enthusiasm in seeing a horror movie had dissolved. All I could think of was Clara and how lost I would be if it had been her.

Rest in peace, Donna Lucas. I doubt Tim will read this, but if he does I want him to know that he is cherished by the horror community.

Written by Mark Sieber