Lucilo Gregorio Ayuso

Lucilo “Luke” Gregorio Ayuso, age 94 , went to his heavenly home to be with his wife on November 4, 2020. He was born May 11, 1926 in Belize to Lucilo P. and Sara Ayuso. He attended St. John’s College and later went to the University of Merida, Yucatan. Jesuit priests in Belize then recommended he study at St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO. It was there that he met his wife of 51 years. He studied optometry at the Midwestern School of Optics. He practiced in his home country of Belize for 15 years before moving his family to the U.S. After a short 9 months in Omaha, he transferred to Grand Rapids, where he continued his profession of optician. Later he worked for Leon Plastics and Keebler, retiring in 1993. Lucilo’s favorite times were spent celebrating life with his family, playing tenor sax in Belize and St. Louis University Bands and serving with the Boy Scouts in Belize where he became Scout Master. Lucilo was a British Subject until he became a U.S. Citizen in September 1991. He loved America and was always grateful for this country and how good she was to his family. His faith was strong, and he was a member of both St. John Vianney and St. Dominic’s in Wyoming. He was preceded in death by his wife; Marguerite “Margaret” (Hodapp); sister: Ester Torres, Sarita Staines; brother, Oscar; sisters-in-law, June Fix, Betty and John Hodapp; brother-in-law, Orlando Torres, Teodosio Staines, Jim Bucher, Eugene Fix, Wilfred Jennings. He will be lovingly remembered by his children: Michael Ayuso of Grand Rapids, John Ayuso of Lansing, Margy and Dick Westerhof of Grandville, Patty and Tom Polkowski of Wyoming, Jeanne Sas of Kentwood, Greg Ayuso of Kentwood, Luke Ayuso of Wyoming, Nancy and Mike Pekrul of Cedar Springs; grandchildren, Dan (Flannery Peterson) Westerhof, Joe (Becky) Westerhof, Meg (Ben Stoub) Westerhof, Nick Polkowski, Jake (Taviana) Sas, Bradley Sas, Neko Ayuso, Ahnika Hansen, Madeline (Darrick) Liggett, Kyle Pekrul; great grandchildren: Wolfgang, Olympia, Isaac, Levi, Audriel; sisters-in-law: Josefina Ayuso of Belize; Mary Jennings of St. Louis, MO, Betty Bucher of Marine, IL, Shirley Hines of Houston, TX, Rita and Tony Forneris of Collinsville, IL, Kathleen and Paul Gross of Fairfax, VA; and many nieces and nephews. A private burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery on Friday, November 6, 2020. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Baruch Ministries http://baruchsls.org/donate/.