Constance Lockhart

Connie,
I just found out today that you left this earth a couple of years ago. I wanted to reconnect and I find that you are gone. You were my counselor,my supervisor, but mostly you were my friend. In my heart you will remain.

Connie,
I hope you was proud of me last night, I tried my best to hold up but I miss you so much. Tell DeWayne and Mr. Watley their families were proud of their work at Rubicon too.

Connie has been gone a year now and I wanted to make on last visit to this site. Thank you to all the wonderful friends and family who attended the Memorial service in May, especially Emily who made it all happen. Connie lives on in each of us and in our love and respect for her. She was so present that day in all of you, and her presence was a gift.

Connie, thanks for being a mentor, friend and a lot of times like a mother. Your teaching will never go in vain and you will forever be in my heart. Because of your passion for people with the disease of addiction I am a better me and a product of what kind of work you produce. And just for the record I have noticed that I do think I'm entitled and I will continue to work on it. I love you Connie. One more thing, I haven't had any bad reports since you been gone. I'll keep working on it

Connie's stepmother Leah has been a dear friend of mine for over 20 years. She has always spoken so highly of Connie and I can see why because Connie led an exemplary life of service to others just as Leah has led her life. I regret that Connie and I did not get to know each other. I know I would have liked her.

Even though I only met Connie a few times, I felt like I knew her better because of my good friend and former neighbor Leah Lockhart, her stepmother. I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Connie and my heart aches for her sister, Karen, other family members and her many, many friends and for my dear friend, Leah. When I did meet Connie, I felt an immediate connection with her because of her compassionate work with individuals in recovery, her love for animals, her intellect, spirituality and of course her sense of humor. I knew also knew her late father, "Lock" Lockhart. As a former neighbor and friend for well over 25 years with Leah Lockhart, Connie's stepmother is understandably devastated at this time. My friend Leah loved Connie as deeply as she would love her own child. Like any proud parent, Leah would keep me up on Connie's activities over the years and looked forward to visits with Connie and Karen. I was so saddened to hear about Connie's passing. She was truly a special person and will be missed. Again, my sympathies to my dear friend Leah, her family and many friends and associates.

Connie was a friend of my daughter, Deirdre and so that's how I met her. She was at the wedding and made the flower arrangements for each table at the small reception She spent a Thanksgiving with my family when we lived in Brooklyn and she was a joy to be with.

That was many years ago and now, as I read all the other guest book entries--I have found out what a remarkable woman she was and just how special she was to everyone who knew her.

I know that she will be missed by her family and all who knew and loved her.

It was an untimely death for someone so brilliant and with so much compassion for people in need.

My sympathies to her family and many friends. God Bless.

Family and friends of Connie, I, too, felt the depth of Connie's spirit in my introduction to her by our mutual friend Nica Fairbanks. I am sad for Nica, for all of you, in this loss of a truly beloved member of your family and community. I just know, because I am one, the spirit of a wonderful dedicated social worker like Connie will live on in the years to come. She loved deeply and that love will be spread by all of us.

With great empathy and sympathy,

Olivia O'Neal

Connie, Constance was aptly named for she was a true and constant friend. We shared an apartment in the fan while students at VCU where she taught me to cook and we listened to music and talked all night. Later she was a gentle housemate in Oregon Hill with my husband Julian and I, and when we all lived in NY, we had many delightful long dinners together. Talking with Connie was always rich with discussions of books and keen cultural observations, she had a razor sharp assessment of injustice and a great deep generosity of heart that enveloped her friends and extended far beyond into the wider world. I'm sad to lose such a true heart in this world. I send loving thoughts to her sister who I knew as Karen, and to all her many friends and those who lives she touched.

Dearest Connie, I remember you as the truest of friends; fiercely honest, tender, generous and wise. You have left this world way to soon and it breaks my heart to think we will never see each other again, never get the chance to talk until the years fall away, to make each other laugh until we cry, to reminisce about our travels and the years we spent together when you lived in NYC. We were traveling in Ireland with your sister Emily (can it really be nearly 30 years ago?) when we met John,my husband, and you both will always have a very special place in our lives. Through you I made some wonderful friends in Richmond, and was privileged to spend time with them in your beautiful city. Reading the words of your friends and colleagues on these pages makes me so proud of you and all you accomplished. My thoughts are with Emily, the rest of your family, your friends, colleagues and all those whose lives you touched as they cope with this sad loss.

A big old hug to you Em, hang in there. We, your more distantly related sisters, love you!

Connie was so instrumental, so very supportive in helping us start our work at Rubicon. Sadness over the loss to her family, her friends, her Rubicon family, and over the inability to continue to learn from such a giving spirit filled my heart at the news. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Connie's family. She and I became close as she helped me successfully fight my demons. Thank you Connie and she will be truly missed.

My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.

Connie,
You are going to be missed dearly. Our hearts are saddened with grief. Prayers go out to your family. We will take care of Ruby. Rest in peace.
Love you,
The Rubicon Family
WTC/WCTC/MTC/CSU/DETOX

Connie and I were in the same MSW class at VCU and I have seen her over the years as our paths crossed professionally. She was the kind of person you could never forget and who always had good things to say about life. She leaves behind a great legacy in the recovery community and in the field of social work. I am proud to have known her.

Connie was an inspiration to me; a colleague and friend whose intelligence, humor, honesty and dedication challenged, informed and delighted me. She spoke to my "Gender and Substance Abuse" class at VCU and we did a workshop for an annual social work meeting that was more fun than work. She wrote beautiful support letters for VCU AWHARE research team grant applications at Rubicon and then helped to implement the studies in any way she could. I once shared with her a trip I took to New England, and when we finished talking, I wanted to go back...with her! I miss her. Her life will continue to inspire me and many others. I send sympathy, gratitude and love to her family.

I was very saddened to learn of Connie's passing. She was an important part of the substance abuse treatment community and her energy and commitment to the field will be sorely missed.

My prayers goes out to the family. May God Bless each and everyone. Connie and I shared a passion for the love of animals. I can remember Connie sharing with me some training technique. Connie will be missed tremendously and will never be forgotten.

It was an honor to have worked with Connie for several years and for our paths to continue crossing afterward. I recall the beginnings of the Women's program(s) at Rubicon when Connie and her Co-Coordinator where inseperable and our transition to the WTC/WCTC building begin a new era of gender specific treatment in Richmond. The proposal "draft" which she co-wrote remains one of my prized possessions. Connie's impartation to others will ensure that her legacy lives on forever. Although she will be missed she will never be forgotten.

Emily, we're all thinking about you and your family and how much you have all given to the world around you.

Much love.

I had the privledge to work with Connie for many years! It was an honor that I was able to take and learn so much from her! She always had words of encouragement and there was always a sense of unconditional love coming from her that is uncomparable! I will truly miss her!

It is sad. I am very sorry. I remember the happy times of breaking bread together and visits with Connie and my sister, Nica Louise.
Michael Fairbanks (and Lois)
Director of Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center. Virginia Beach, VA

I only met Connie a handful of times but she was one of those people you immediately liked. The community, which will miss her skills and compassion, is a much better place because of her and her work.

Hang in there Emily, we love you.