Obituary of Joan B. Locke

AIKEN, SC - Joan B. Locke [7-13-1937 to 2-2-2018] was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She spent her childhood in Kentucky and Virginia, graduating from Washington-Lee High School in Virginia, 1955. In 1959, she graduated from Duke University School of Nursing with a BSN, and earned her RN certification shortly thereafter. She met her first husband, Edgar B. Mackie, Jr., while in college and married him in 1959, following him to various duty stations during his service in the U.S. Army. They were in Monterey, California when their only child Melissa Ayne was born, and they lived in Germany during the Berlin Wall crisis. They moved back to N.C. following his discharge, first to Morganton then to Chapel Hill—Raleigh area, where Joan began her 40 year career in psychiatric nursing.

She earned her M.S. in Counseling from NCSU in 1971 and certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatry and the national certification in Marriage and Family Therapy, one of the first nurses to do so. She practiced in many different settings both clinical and administrative, community-based and in clinics, was Director of Nursing of a private psychiatric hospital in Raleigh, but loved her time working directly with patients best. She taught nursing in Raleigh and at USCA and MCG and was one of the first nurses to establish a private counseling practice in Raleigh. She helped establish the Continuing Education Credits System nationally, then at the state level in N.C. and S.C.

She met and married her second husband, Frederick C. Locke, Jr. in Raleigh during the 1980's , sharing a love of "making music," for several years with the Little German Band of Raleigh. They camped their way from Texas to Nova Scotia and explored England, Scotland, Wales, Switzerland, and Germany on several self-guided trips.

In 1987, they moved to Aiken as semi-retirees, where Joan volunteered with various organizations including the Aiken Library, the original Free Clinic of Aiken, Aiken Regional Medical Centers, the STAR Therapeutic Riding program, the Community Theater, and the Aiken County Animal Shelter. She played with the Aiken Community Band, sang with the Aiken Singers and ended her musical "career" with the New Horizon Band of Aiken, both their concert and jazz sections.

She was predeceased by her parents, Olive and Lee Barcy, husband, Frederick C. Locke, a WWII veteran, and sister, Barbara Lindauer.  

She is survived by her daughter, Melissa (Bob) Brown of Richmond, VA,  her stepdaughter, Carol Locke of Raleigh, NC, her stepson, Éric Locke of Raleigh, NC, three granddaughters, a niece, and a nephew. 

If desired, any memorial gifts made to the Friends of Aiken County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 2207, Aiken, SC 29802, in Joan's honor would make her smile.

A committal service will be held at 1:00 PM on April 20, 2018 at Ft. Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Rd., Columbia, SC 29229 (Exit 80 on I-20).

The Historic George Funeral Home, 211 Park Ave., SW, Aiken, SC 29801 (803.649.6234), has charge of arrangements.