Love, Legacy, and the Lucas-Perry Family | A Story of Partnership, Purpose, and Generational Excellence | A Chronicle Community Spotlight Feature
- The Chronicle News
- 43 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Some stories are not just about success.
They are about legacy.
When you listen to the story of Lavel and Dr. Patricia Lucas-Perry, you quickly realize their journey was never simply about careers or accomplishments. It was about building something enduring together, brick by brick, year by year, family by family.
Their love story began at the University of Detroit, where Patricia first noticed Lavel at a basketball game. Lavel admits he immediately knew he had met someone special. Patricia, however, was not easily persuaded.
But Lavel did something that would later define both their marriage and their legacy. He kept showing up. According to Patricia, the reason their relationship blossomed was simple. “He kept pressing.”
That persistence grew into a partnership that has now spanned more than four decades of marriage, five children, eleven grandchildren, and a family legacy that continues to shape communities across Michigan.
A Partnership Built on Teamwork
In a video created by their children, Lavel describes their relationship in a way that feels both humble and powerful.
“We were like two mules pulling a wagon.”
Not glamorous.
Not flashy.
Just steady, determined teamwork.
They planned together, supported each other’s dreams, and shared responsibilities while staying committed to the same values. Both came from strong academic backgrounds. Lavel earned degrees in engineering and business, while Patricia pursued a career in dentistry, eventually becoming a trailblazer in the profession.
Despite demanding careers, their approach to family and life remained simple. They operated as a team.
Patricia describes Lavel as her rock, someone who remains calm even when emotions run high. His steady presence created a space where she could grow personally and professionally without feeling limited by marriage or family.
In Patricia’s words, Lavel’s superpower is his ability to remain easygoing and unshaken, a quality she jokingly compares to Superman. And perhaps that calm strength is exactly what allowed their family to flourish.
A Family Legacy in Dentistry
In the heart of Michigan, the Lucas-Perry family has quietly built a multigenerational powerhouse in dentistry, redefining excellence in healthcare while inspiring the next generation of professionals.
At the center of that legacy is Dr. Patricia Lucas-Perry, whose passion for dentistry and dedication to education influenced nearly an entire generation of her own family.
Today, four of the couple’s five children have followed that path into dentistry, continuing the family tradition of service and leadership in oral healthcare.
Their Children Include:
• Dr. Victoria Lucas-Perry, dentist and practice leader
• Dr. Evelyn Cheek, dentist and healthcare leader
• Dr. Patrick Lucas-Perry, dentist
• Lavel Lucas-Perry, RDH, dental hygienist
• Crystal Lucas-Perry, the family’s creative spirit, who pursued a career in the arts and has written a stage play that has been featured on Broadway
Together, the family’s work represents nearly 80 years of combined experience in dentistry and healthcare.
Dr. Victoria Lucas-Perry and Dr. Evelyn Cheek currently manage eight Aspen Dental locations across Michigan, expanding access to quality dental care for communities across the state.
Prior to opening her practices in Allen Park and Ypsilanti, Dr. Cheek served as Director of Public Policy Research at the American Dental Education Association, where she conducted important research on public health and academic dentistry.
Dr. Lucas-Perry has combined business acumen with clinical expertise to grow practices in Livonia, Canton, Lake Orion-Auburn Hills, Chesterfield, Roseville, and Novi, further extending the family’s impact across Michigan.
Together with their siblings, the family plays a role in the leadership and operation of 14 Aspen Dental locations statewide, bringing patient-centered care to thousands.
Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges
The Lucas-Perry family has also navigated the challenges that come with being Black professionals in a historically underrepresented field. But rather than allowing those obstacles to limit them, they used them as motivation.
“The challenges of race and sexism weren’t barriers; they were stepping stones,” says Dr. Cheek. “They gave us the grit to succeed and the responsibility to open doors for others.”
Through mentorship programs such as Ross and Dorsey, the family helps train dental assistants and support aspiring healthcare professionals entering the field.
Their mission is simple:
To help reduce healthcare inequities and ensure that oral healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of background or socioeconomic status.
Excellence Beyond Dentistry
Excellence runs through the Lucas-Perry family in more ways than one.
Both Dr. Victoria Lucas-Perry and Lavel Lucas-Perry excelled as Division I basketball players.
Dr. Victoria made her mark at Michigan State University, where she ranks among the program’s top players in scoring, three-point shooting, and career games played. She was even drafted by the Seattle Storm of the WNBA, but ultimately chose to pursue dentistry, honoring both her personal ambitions and the influence of her mother’s legacy.
Lavel Lucas-Perry played basketball at the University of Michigan, continuing the family tradition of excellence both on and off the court.
A Celebration of Love and Legacy
On March 14, 2026, the Lucas-Perry children hosted a beautiful celebration honoring their parents’ legacy at MotorCity Casino in Detroit.
The event, titled “The Emerald City: A Celebration of Legacy and Love,” brought family and friends together in red carpet attire with emerald accents to celebrate 43 years of marriage and Lavel’s 72nd birthday.
The invitation captured the spirit of the evening perfectly.
“We invite you to follow the Yellow Brick Road of their life together, through decades of devotion, dreams pursued, and challenges met with courage.”
Patricia often describes their life together as traveling the Yellow Brick Road, with the destination being their own Emerald City.
But their Emerald City is not wealth or status.
It is family.
Children thriving.
Grandchildren growing.
A marriage that has endured for more than four decades.
The True Measure of Success
In a world that often measures success by individual achievements, the Lucas-Perry family reminds us that the greatest accomplishments are often collective.
A marriage that lasts.
Children who lead.
Grandchildren who inherit not only opportunity, but values.
The Lucas-Perry story is not simply about dentistry. It is about love that endured, partnership that strengthened, and a legacy that continues to grow. And in the end, that is the greatest achievement of all.
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