Kathleen Ann “Kathy” Lukas, Passionate Fighter for Homeopathy Crosses the Threshold at the Age of 79

In 1997, Kathy Lukas and Joanna “Jo” Daly met at the annual meeting of the International Foundation for Homeopathy (IFH). This meeting happened because British homeopath and educator Misha Norland and Kathy had discussed the idea of opening a homeopathy school in New York City to be modeled after Misha's highly successful “School of Homoeopathy” in England. Misha recommended homeopath and teacher, Jo Daly to be a good partner in this venture. At the conference Jo agreed, and soon two, passionate, committed, and big-hearted women opened their school a year later in 1998.

“She seemed to know we would be a good team and so we were! We complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses and spent most of our waking hours in each other's company, either working or relaxing, exhausted after a long day. Kathy was a bright spark, a visionary who had a passion for homeopathy and she put her heart and soul into establishing, promoting, and running the school's 4-year program for over a decade. She was also the front person for my homeopathic practice, promoting my work in a way I never could. I remember one new client who was waiting to be seen and Kathy put her head round my door and said—“this person is very wealthy—please try extra hard to heal him—we could do with a donation to the Freedom Bill.”—Jo Daly (email May 27, 2025)

Kathy Lukas, born on the seventeenth of June 1945 in Portland, Maine, found her first career in the 1960s where she worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines in New York City and later in San Francisco. At both locations, she was active in leadership positions in the flight attendant labor and union organizations. This, however, did not satisfy her sharp intellect, so she decided to become a paralegal. When she and her dentist husband, Terry Bellman, moved to New York City, she found work as a paralegal at the prestigious law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, and Hamilton. Shortly after her son was born, he became a victim of frequent ear infections. Terry knew of homeopathy and arranged treatment. Now blessed with a healthy son, Kathy's passionate nature turned to homeopathy causing her, with her deeply held sense of justice, to become a tireless advocate for our beloved art. She left her paralegal job and went to work for Terry in his dental office while pursuing her study of homeopathy. Everything that Kathy did she did with intensity and commitment. She was a natural networker and saw her future as a promoter of homeopathy rather than a practitioner. That passionate nature and expansive vision is what drove her to found, along with Misha Norland and Jo Daly, The School of Homoeopathy, New York, which was directly connected with its cousin in England. Fortunately, Jo was there at the right time with her teaching experience and the two of them created a very popular 4-year educational institute, which lived and breathed forcefully for 10 years. Kathy's forte was not as a clinician but as an administrator and promoter of the school. Jo Daly, as Dean, assisted in creating the curriculum and served as a main teacher while others including Jayesh Shah, Jeremy Sherr, Janet Snowdon, Tina Quirk, Diana Gubbay, Will Taylor, Roger Morrison, Misha Norland, David Mundy, Rob Bannan, Simon Taffler, and others served as regular faculty or as invited, honored guests. The school, which was classically oriented yet open to contemporary methodologies, provided mentors and supervisors for whom retreats were offered to allow for learning in a less formal setting. Over the years, the school rented various spaces, including in a building very close to the Twin Towers in lower Manhattan. In fact, when 9/11 occurred, the school was required to vacate and relocate to allow the Red Cross to open a triage center in that area.

Additionally, Kathy's passionate and enthusiastic nature stoked the fires, which drove her on a quest to get the New York State legislature to pass a Health Freedom Bill. She fought tirelessly for its passage, even going to Albany and spending her own funds to hire lobbyists and pay other various expenses. The Bill was never enacted and Kathy was crestfallen. As one can imagine, aside from working tirelessly for her school she, in 24/7 fashion, worked especially hard to get that Bill passed. In the wake of that failure, it was decided in 2009 to close the school. One of the graduates was officially charged with “practicing medicine without a license” and while that charge was dismissed, Kathy realized that to continue to operate in such a negative atmosphere was of no benefit to her students.

“It feels as if a light has gone out in the world. Kathy Lukas was a phenomenon who will never be forgotten. Three words describe her, generous, enthusiastic, and fun. Although not a practicing homoeopath, she championed its cause largely through the school she set up in New York with Jo Daly. With her sparkling energy she supported and encouraged students and staff at the school and was a fearless advocate of homoeopathy in the wider world. Her flat in the upper east side of Manhattan was a haven of homoeopathy, discussion, and laughter. Her hospitality went beyond the lecturers to their families who visited New York as she epitomized the energy and positivity of the city. We will all talk about our memories of Kathy for many years.”—Janet Snowdon (email May 27, 2025)

“Kathy was one of the most generous, big-hearted people I have ever known and when she organized an event it was always full-on fabulous. We had Christmas parties in New York, graduation parties for the school, and faculty retreats by the ocean, all lavishly catered and fun. There was always good food and wine! Kathy lived life to the full, knowing that Terry was always behind her, lovingly keeping things together when she had too much on her plate! Thank you Terry, love of her life! I feel very lucky to have shared those years with Kathy and Terry and she will always be in my heart.”—Jo Daly (email May 25, 2025)

Kathy Lukas crossed the threshold on February 9, 2025, after a three and a half year struggle with cancer. Her husband commented “...that right up until the end she was an inspiration as she endured her struggle with determination, grace, and an unwavering positive expectation and attitude.”

K Lukas with Misha Norland on the right.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
24. Juni 2025