Born in Cellino Attanasio, Teramo, Italy, Luciana worked as a midwife and nurse in Naples, Italy, where she met her late husband, a US Navy officer, Master Chief Roger R. Pope Sr., married him, and had their first child. The family moved to the US in 1955 and she became a US citizen in 1957.
She is survived by her daughters Laura Pope Smith (Craig) and Sandra Pope, and her son Roger Pope, Jr. Her grandchildren, Michelle Dekkers, Jason Pope, Jessica Pope, Shauna Smith, Jennifer Robinson, Jared Robinson and Jager Robinson survive her. Her great grandchildren Jessica Renee and Kevin Duane Salas also survive her.
Her legacy of courage has been documented in the movie "My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes." Her town of Cellino was part of a secret network during World War II hiding Jews. She bore a scar on her right cheek from shrapnel that hit her while she was running between buildings during a raid by Nazi soldiers looking for Jews.