Lucian "Lu" Charles Canepa, age 96, a resident of Hanover, died on January 28, 2023 from heart disease at the Wheelock Terrace assisted living facility. As a young man he lived in New York City, Scarsdale, NY, and Staten Island, NY, and before moving to Hanover in 2018, he had lived in Basking Ridge, NJ for nearly 60 years.

Lu was born in New York City to Lucia (Bardoneschi) and Agostino Canepa, who had immigrated from Italy. Agostino was a baker in Little Italy, and in his childhood Luciano, as he was then known, loved sampling his father's breads and sweets. In his early years, Lu also developed a love for baseball, both as a player and as a fan of his beloved New York Yankees.

Lu volunteered for the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 and served more than 2 years during World War II, including 12 months in the Pacific theater. He then received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Yale University in 1950, where he was a member of the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi. He was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict, and served an additional 13 months.

Subsequently, he enrolled in the Yale Law School. After graduation, he went to work for Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, NJ, where he was employed for 31 years as a patent attorney. One of his proudest achievements at Bell Labs was his authorship of the basic U.S. Patent on Lasers.

During his years in Basking Ridge, Lu served for 6 years on the Bernards Township School Board, including 2 years as its president. He also served for several years as vice president of the board of the Resource Center for Women and Their Families, and was a volunteer at the V.A. hospital in Lyons, NJ. Throughout his life he enjoyed attending music and theater events with his wife Isabel.

Lu was predeceased by his adored companion of 47 years, Isabel (Vaivoda) Canepa, in 1999. His survivors include: his daughter, Nancy, of Hanover; his son, Randall; his son-in-law Carmelo; and his 2 granddaughters Isabella Gaia and Camilla.

The family would like to thank the staff at Wheelock Terrace and at Bayada Hospice for their attentive care.

Knight Funeral Home is assisting with the arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.knightfuneralhomes.com .  Donations in the memory of Lu may be made to the Ritter Center of San Rafael, CA, to help people affected by homelessness ( www.rittercenter.org ). There will be no public services.