James Locker

1943 - 2025

James Locker
November 5, 1943 - December 19, 2025
James Locker, known to his friends as Jim, age 82, of Stamford, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on December 19, 2025, after a life defined by his love and devotion to his family and his business acumen.
Born in 1943, in Newport News, Virginia, Jim was a brilliant and driven student from the start. He graduated early from the City College of New York with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) degree. He then quickly completed his first of two Master's degrees, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, from which he proudly received a distinguished alumni award in 2015.
He began his storied career at GE, working on aircraft and helicopter engines. While at GE, he designed equipment known as the Locker Lift, a tool to help safely remove aircraft and helicopter engines.
He left GE to attend Harvard Business School, graduating with an MBA. He then embarked on 40-plus-year career as a business executive and consultant. He served as President and CEO and in other senior leadership, strategic, board, and consultant roles for a wide range of consumer goods, capital equipment, and industrial manufacturing companies generating billions of dollars in revenue. He was well-respected for his business smarts, consistently generating greater profits, improving processes, and creating new products.
Jim was also known for his mentorship of young professionals, including volunteering his time to advise Yale and Harvard Business School students.
While his business accomplishments were innumerous, Jim was most proud of his family. He particularly reveled in family vacations, holidays, and outings. His happy place was the Big Island of Hawaii, where he especially loved the island's fresh fish, coffee, and macadamia nuts. He was an avid card game player, reader, historian, and news junkie, always sharing articles of interest and clippings with family and friends. Jim taught his family the values of hard work, compassion, humility, responsibility, problem solving, and humor.
Jim is survived by his devoted wife of nearly 48 years, Ilene Kweskin Locker; his children, Barry (with partner, Kevin) and Howard (with spouse, Neha); his two grandchildren, Serena and Ilana; his brothers, Howard (with wife Christine) and George; and his niece, Elena, and nephew, Aaron. All will miss Jim's constant offers of ice cream, travel advice, and credit card strategy.
Jim's funeral will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut. Information about shiva will be posted in his online obituary on the Thomas M. Gallagher Funeral Home website at www.gallagherfuneralhome.com . In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, the Kidney Cancer Association, Temple Beth El, or a charity of one's choice.