In Loving Memory
Louis Buisch Lusk, Sr.
November 4, 1931 – July 15, 2023
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of the patriarch of the Lusk family,
Louis B. Lusk, Sr., who passed away on July 15, 2023. He was the consummate
southern gentleman, a brilliant legal mind, and a man imbued with honor, honesty, and
integrity.
He was born on November 4, 1931, in Lyons, New York. He moved to Guntersville in
1939, when his father, Marion F. Lusk, returned to Alabama to practice law with John
Alexander Lusk, Louis B. Lusk Sr.’s paternal grandfather. He graduated from
Guntersville High School in 1950, where he was valedictorian. He graduated with
highest honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama in 1954.
While an undergraduate at the Capstone, he was vice president of the Kappa Alpha
Order fraternity, a member of the University of Alabama debate team, and a member of
Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK). He graduated with highest honors
from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1956 and went on to receive an L.L.M.
degree (Master of Laws) in Jurisprudence from Yale University in 1957. He moved to
Guntersville in 1957, where he practiced law for 65 years at the Lusk & Lusk law firm,
first with his father Marion F. Lusk and later with his son, Jonathan M. Lusk. During his
distinguished legal career spanning over six decades, he served as president of the
Marshall County Bar Association and was a member of the American Bar Association
and the Alabama State Bar Association. He was an active member of the Alabama
Defense Lawyers Association. In addition to his mastery of legal writing and appellate
advocacy, he shined as an exceptional trial attorney. As a result, he was inducted as a
fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers, an organization which limits its
membership to the top 1 percent of trial attorneys in the nation.
He met his beloved wife, Carolyn Regan Lusk, while attending the University of
Alabama as an undergraduate. They were married in 1955. Over the course of their 68
year marriage, they had five children, fifteen grandchildren, and two great
grandchildren.
Louis Lusk, Sr. will be remembered not only for his exceptional intellect but also for his
kindness, selflessness, and generosity. His reputation in his community for honesty,
integrity, and civility was above and beyond reproach. He was a member of the First
Presbyterian Church of Guntersville. He loved reading, walking, listening to classical
music, and playing and watching tennis. He was keenly interested in history, geopolitical
events and American politics, often donating to political causes in which he strongly
believed. He had an unwavering dedication and sense of duty to his family. His children
and grandchildren loved and adored him not only for his wise counsel, but also for his
sense of humor, playfulness, and sense of fun. To his family, he has always been both a
pillar of strength and a source of joy.
He is survived by his wife Carolyn Regan Lusk, his five children (Annette Loper of
Atlanta, Louis Lusk, Jr. of Asheville, North Carolina, Sarah Haberstroh of Birmingham,
Catherine King of Nashville, and Jonathan Lusk of Huntsville), fifteen grandchildren, and
two great grandchildren.
The funeral service to honor Louis B. Lusk Sr.’s life will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church in Guntersville. Mr. Lusk will lie-in-state from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM. The funeral will begin at 2:00 PM. Graveside services will be held immediately thereafter at the Guntersville City Cemetery at the Lusk family plot. Thereafter, a reception will be held for family and friends at the Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center at 1215 Rayburn Avenue in Guntersville. Family and friends are invited to attend and pay their respects. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Louis B. Lusk Sr.’s memory to the First Presbyterian Church of Guntersville.
Pallbearers: Jonathan Marion Lusk, Louis B. Lusk Jr., R. Coleman Loper, Regan C. Loper, Cannon King and James Haberstroth
Forever in our hearts, Louis B. Lusk, Sr. will be remembered as a cherished husband,
father, grandfather, counselor, friend, and a truly remarkable soul.
