A memorial service is planned at West Seattle’s Forest Lawn tomorrow afternoon for Darrell Locklin, who died a week ago at age 78. His family shares this remembrance:

West Seattle native Darrell Locklin was born February 21, 1934, and graduated from West Seattle High School in 1952. He entered the army in 1956, and was stationed at Killeen Base in Texas, where he earned commendations for scholastic achievement and finishing first in his class in special weapons training (despite a life-long dislike of guns). And he met Katherine Kelly.

They married in 1958, returned to Seattle, bought a house in 1964, and settled in to raise a family, and where they lived until his death. He put many hours and even years into improving the house. Even in the past year, when it looked and felt like it was finally done, he said he still had some things he wanted to do.

In 1970 he graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in social work and went to work for the Department of Social and Health Services. He transferred to the Department of Corrections and became a probation and parole officer. In 1984 he moved to Reynolds Work Release (a transition facility for offenders re-entering the community), and retired in 1995, completing a 20+-year career in social and public service.

His interests in life were varied. He played and coached softball, and coached both his children in little league baseball. He passed on (or tried to) his interest in baseball, cars, and hydroplane racing.

He indulged in the 1970s fascination with CB radio, installing one in his van and one in his study (where he was a volunteer for King County REACT, providing assistance to stranded motorists). In the mid-80s he took flying lessons and earned his pilot’s license. He logged many hours of small craft flight around the Puget Sound and Cascade mountain areas, going to San Juan Island for lunch or Yakima for breakfast, or just to circle the still smoking Mt. St. Helens.

He enjoyed travel, attested to by many family car trips during the 60s and 70s. In the mid-80s he discovered he liked cruise ships. He and Kathy sailed to dozens of destinations around the Caribbean and South America (including going around Cape Horn and through the Panama Canal), and to Europe (where they went to Checkpoint Charlie and Red Square). In 2007 they took an around the country road trip which took them through Canada, Michigan, Hershey PA, Washington DC, Stone Mountain, and more.

To prepare for their first cruise they took up ballroom dancing, which became another passion closely tied to cruises but indulged in at home. Most Friday nights he could be found at the Lake City Elks, dancing, though as the IPF progressed, some nights he could only watch, though he did dance the Friday before his death.

When not flying, dancing, or cruising, he indulged his obsession with crossword puzzles, completing unknown thousands and wearing out many crossword dictionaries.

He was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in June of 2012, and died October 6, 2012, having just the weekend before visited his childhood West Seattle home. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 Saturday, October 13, 2012, at Forest Lawn in West Seattle.

He is survived by wife Kathy, son Kelly, daughter Laura, and son-in-law Douglas. His death was sudden, and only after did the family learn of the existence of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and the incredible coincidence of his memorial service being scheduled for the same day as the annual Breathe Better Benefit.
We encourage donations in his name to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation: http://pulmonaryfibrosis.donorpages.com/Tribute/darrelllocklin/

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