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Oscar-Winning ‘Star Wars’ Legend Dies at 80

Film editor Marcia Lucas was hailed as a trailblazer.

Film editor Marcia Lucas, who won an Oscar for her work on the groundbreaking sci-fi blockbuster Star Wars, directed by her then-husband George Lucas, has died.

The San Francisco-based filmmaker died Wednesday at her vacation home in Rancho Mirage, California, after being diagnosed with cancer, according to her family.

Marcia, who was married to the Star Wars creator from 1969 to 1983, was often referred to as George Lucas’s “secret weapon.” In addition to co-editing American Graffiti with him, she also edited Return of the Jedi. She was also a close collaborator of Martin Scorsese, having worked as an editor on Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), and New York, New York (1977).

“Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered,” her family said in a statement. “Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love.”

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She had a “rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen.”

Lucasfilm issued a statement noting that the company was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Marcia Lucas.”

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Mary PapenfussReporter

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