Tilton----Kent Drew Locke, Jr., 79, died September 14, 2015 at the New Hampshire Veterans Home after a battle with Parkinson's Disease, which he dealt with courageously for over 25 years.
Kent was born in Wolfeboro, NH on September 10, 1936, son of the late Kent and Margaret (Johnston) Locke. Kent graduated from Alton High School in 1954 as salutatorian of his class. While at Alton, he served as Class President, Student Council President, captain of both varsity baseball and basketball teams and as a sophomore, he was Carnival King. During summers, he became an accomplished mason, learning the trade from his father. Kent attended the University of NH, where he participated in ROTC, joined Acacia fraternity and played on the freshman baseball team, graduating in 1958 with a BS degree in Zoology.
Upon graduation, he married Jean Powers (Aberg) and spent two years as an Army artillery officer, serving at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, and Ft Lewis, Washington. After his tour of duty, he and his family returned to NH where he taught Biology for one semester at Brewster Academy and a year teaching Biology, Physics, Chemistry and General Science at Pittsfield High School. He then joined the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Co. as a detail man based in Lewiston, ME. After three years with Upjohn, he was recognized as one of the top 25 out of 11,000 representatives and was promoted to the Hospital Division in Boston, MA, moving his family to Medfield, MA. He left Upjohn in 1968, moving back to Barnstead, NH to work in the family business developing and selling vacation homes on land his father had purchased, known as Locke Lake Colony.
Moving to Gilford in 1969, he was instrumental in developing Waterville Estates, a successful ski resort community in Campton, NH. Kent left the vacation development business in 1974 to run Hounsell Realty and began a relationship with the Keewaydin Group, becoming heavily involved in southern NH industrial park development. Upon leaving Hounsell, he opened three Century 21 offices in the Lakes Region which he successfully managed for many years. He was actively involved in the American Land Development Association, the Lakes Region Board of Realtors and on the Gilford Planning Board. He was a member of Laconia Rotary and in his spare time an active participant of the Winnipesaukee Yacht Club, where he was an avid Lightning sailor. During his retirement, he owned and operated Lockes Blueberry Farm in Barnstead, NH.
He is survived by his former wife and best friend, Jean Aberg of Gilford, their children, Susan Peirson, and her husband Nicholas, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Cotuit, MA; Nancy Locke of Denver, CO: Andrew Locke, and his wife Heather Scholl, of Hopkinton, NH, three grandchildren, Sam Peirson, Addison and Clara Locke: two brothers, James of Gilmanton, NH, and Thomas, of Barnstead, NH: as well as several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, Kent and Margaret Locke.
Calling hours will be Sunday, September 20, 2015 from 4-6pm at the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH, using the Carriage House entrance.
Services will be held at Monday, September 21, 2015 at 10 am at the Community Church of Alton, 20 Church Street, Alton, NH 03809.
Burial will immediately follow in the family lot at River Side Cemetery also in Alton.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations may be made to Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, New York, 10018.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH is assisting the family with the arrangements.