Flossie Luckey Announces Retirement From CHISD
CEDAR HILL, TX- For the past 23 years, Flossie Luckey’s official title at Waterford Oaks Elementary School was “Physical Education Aide.”
‘Chief Energy Officer’ better describes what Luckey has done from the late 1990s to the present.
She’s helped out in classrooms, the cafeteria and as a crossing guard. She’s been described as the heart of the campus.
“I played so many different roles in scholars’ lives at Waterford Oaks,” Luckey said. “I knew how to build kids’ self-esteem and how to nurture them.”
In a bittersweet decision, Luckey is retiring from CHISD, effective next month.
She arrived at Waterford Oaks not long after the campus opened. In recent years, she’s mentored sons , daughters, nephews and nieces of some of the scholars she worked with during her early years with the District.
“I knew my purpose in being at Waterford Oaks for 23 years,” Luckey said. “God let me know my purpose here every time I got discouraged. It’s bittersweet to leave because I think of the hundreds and hundreds of scholars over the years. I learned so much from the scholars and the teachers.”
Luckey has proudly watched her former scholars excel in a wide variety of careers, including doctors, lawyers, nurses, police officers and more.
“I receive my true compensation when I see our Cedar Hill Scholars, especially our Waterford Oaks Scholars, and see that they have accomplished their dream,” Luckey said. “Many of these scholars come back to the community and spread their reward. It’s my reward to see that.”
One of those former CHISD scholars is Melissa (Guevera) Tyler, a 2004 Cedar Hill High School graduate. Tyler never had a class with Luckey as a scholar, but they’ve become friends as Waterford Oaks colleagues.
Ms. Tyler, the 2019-2020 Cedar Hill ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year, teaches Adaptive PE at Waterford Oaks.
Luckey Will Be Missed
“I know many scholars and staff will miss having her fun-loving spirit every day on campus, but I am sure she will still be around in some capacity for her Waterford Oaks and CHISD Family,” Tyler said. “Mrs. Luckey is the person who always checks on you and your family. She genuinely cares about you.”
Scholars respected Luckey because they knew she had a kind heart, but at the same time, they knew she wouldn’t tolerate misbehavior.
Luckey grew up in the small northern Louisiana town of Minden, and moved to the Dallas area on a wing and a prayer.
She said her faith drew her to move west, so she purchased a bus ticket to Dallas where she didn’t know many people.
A few years later, she met her husband. They raised a family in Cedar Hill – where they still proudly reside – and both of their children – son, C.J., and daughter, Christian, were CHISD Longhorns.
Luckey rarely misses a Cedar Hill High School home football game. She thoroughly enjoyed watching former Waterford Oaks scholars excel on the football team, including the State Championship Teams of 2006, 2013 and 2014.
During one of the Championship Parades, Luckey “decorated her car as a Longhorn.”
Prior to joining the staff at Waterford Oaks, Luckey worked for the U.S. Postal Service and in the medical field.
“I’ve always had a heart for children,” Luckey said. “I never knew what it was, but I’ve always had it. I love to encourage people to be where they need to be, so they can fulfill their destiny.”
For someone who welcomes the opportunity to interact with scholars and staff, the COVID-19 Crisis has been especially challenging.
In order to establish a small semblance of normal, she goes to Bessie Coleman Middle School and volunteers with meal distribution each Wednesday.
“I wanted to see the kids – that’s my opportunity to wave to the kids that I haven’t seen since March,” Luckey said.
Luckey’s retirement celebration will be postponed, but she’s OK with it. She sees it as an important lesson that life can be unpredictable.
“This wasn’t on our calendar, “ Luckey said. “It’s something uncontrollable. We wanted to have the end of the school year and have field days and dances. But sometimes life doesn’t go as we plan. We have to pick up the pieces and keep moving.”
Luckey is unsure about her retirement plans, but she expects to be involved in CHISD in some capacity.
