93-year-old Orange County resident fondly remembers Lake Lucy during Lake Appreciation Month

Peggy Lantz learned to swim in Lake Lucy at age four. Almost nine decades later, she still takes to the calm waters every day.

She steps out the back door and rides her electric trike to her beloved dock. She sits with her Shetland Sheepdog, Sandy, and takes in the sights and sounds of nature.

Lantz can identify any nearby plant; she knows any bird by its call. “That’s a brown mockingbird,” Lantz said, turning to the croaking bird.

It’s no wonder Lantz knows Lake Lucy and its people so well. The 64-acre lake east of Ocoee is a rich part of her family’s history. It’s where her grandparents lived. The five-acre property on which Lantz’s home sits was purchased by her father in 1935.

As a child, Lantz spent carefree summers at the lake, never leaving until her skin wrinkled.

Lantz watched her four children grow up near Lake Lucy, where she lived with her husband for 61 years until his death in 2020.

Her late husband, Don, was buried in the shade of a live oak near the shore. She, too, will be buried there one day.

“Lake Lucy is the most amazing place in the world,” the 93-year-old said. “It (the lake) has been a very important part of my life.”

This July, when Orange County celebrates Lake Appreciation Month, Lantz is one of many people in the Orlando area who feel a special connection to this beloved body of water.

There are more than 600 lakes throughout Orange County, each offering a wide range of recreational opportunities that residents and visitors alike enjoy. Healthy lakes also help maintain and even increase the value of the homes that surround them.

“We are fortunate to have a vast array of lakes around us,” said Liz Johnson, deputy manager of Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division. “The lakes give back: a place for wildlife, a place to store and filter water, a place for humanity to rest, watch, regenerate and even take a dip. It takes partnerships to maintain and enhance our lakes.”

Lantz loves Lake Lucy so much that she wrote a book about it, one of ten she has written about preserving the environment.

“I preach the gospel of nature as much as I can,” Lantz said. “If you care about the lakes in Orange County, the best thing to do is take care of them. Don’t put things in the lake that shouldn’t be there. Keep them free of pesticides and fertilizers.”

Lantz smiles as he recalls his memories of the lake — catching fireflies, boating and taking his first swim.

Lake Lucy, named after Lantz’s great-grandmother, was much deeper in her day.

At 93, the only obstacle keeping Lantz from taking the plunge, something she has done many times in her life, is shallow water.

“I hope I can swim in Lake Lucy one more time before I die,” she said, as a brown mockingbird sang nearby.

To learn more about Orange County lakes, visit www.ocfl.net/epd.