William F Locke

William "Bill" F Locke

Bill was born in Covington, Kentucky on May 20, 1937 to Gertrude (Trudy) and Paul Locke and passed away on August 3, 2022, in Silverdale, Washington after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Bill grew up in Ohio and graduated from Greenville High School. He attended and was a proud alumni of Wittenburg University, where he met his wife of 58 years, W. Jean Macher.

After attending college, Bill started a career with the National Park Service that would last over forty years. He began as a Park Ranger and retired as a Regional Budget Director. He was passionate about the environment from a young age, way before it was "cool" to be "green". His career took him to National Parks all over the United States, living in Washington, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Alaska. His favorite places were Alaska and Hawaii, but the place he called home was Washington State.

He spent the majority of his career working in Downtown Seattle for the NW Regional Park Service Headquarters while living on Bainbridge Island and raising his two daughters. He loved commuting on the ferry each day (and enjoyed a beer and popcorn every Friday on his way home), his frequent runs along Crystal Springs Drive, his Volvo(s), his dogs, and Bainbridge traditions like the Grand Old Fourth.

After retiring in Kitsap County, Bill enjoyed traveling to Southern California to see his daughter Vicki and her family. He loved spending time on Maui, enjoying as many holidays there as possible with his daughters and their families as they could. While at home, he had fun driving his lawnmower (always with a tootsie pop in his mouth), exploring the beach with his grandchildren, and was a committed and kind caregiver to his wife, Jean after she suffered a stroke.

He will be remembered for his great sense of humor, generosity, patience and his kindness.

He is survived by his wife, W. Jean Locke, his daughter Cynthia/Cindy McFarland and her husband, Rob, his daughter Vicki Bagley and her husband, John, and his four loving grandchildren.

No services will be held, but we encourage those who knew and loved him to toast him with a Rob Roy or Blue Hawaiian, pay a visit to your favorite National Park and think of him, or make a donation to the National Park Service in his honor.