Thursday, August 06, 2015
Corinth, Vt. — Allen William Locke, former Chairman of the Corinth Board of Selectmen, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on Friday, July 31, 2015, of cancer.
He was born on Aug. 24, 1938, the youngest son of Dr. Allen W. Locke and Florence (Henry) Locke of Wellesley, Mass., and was a descendant of Reuben Locke, who settled in Corinth in 1791. He graduated from Wellesley High School, and earned a B.S. in biology and M.A. in Modern European history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
In 1964, he moved to Washington, DC to begin his career with the federal government as an analyst with the National Security Agency. He and his future wife, Elizabeth Heun, met there on their first day of work. They married in 1966 and had three children: Emily and twins Caroline and William.
In 1966, Allen joined the U. S. Department of State as an historian, and over the course of his career, he became a respected authority in the intelligence community and advisor to the highest levels of government on issues relating to nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. After serving as Deputy Staff Secretary in the Reagan White House, he rejoined the State Department in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He retired in 2001 as Director of the Office of Analysis for Strategic, Proliferation, and Military Issues, where he was commended for being “a paragon of integrity, intellectual honesty, and uncommon common sense”.
Allen always considered the family farm in Corinth his real home. As soon as he retired, he returned there, restored the family home, and began phase two of his working life. He assumed roles in the Corinth Planning Commission, which he later chaired, followed by positions as Chairman of the Board of Listers and Chairman of the Corinth Board of Selectmen. He enjoyed the day-to-day engagement of Town government and the people he met through his involvement. He also served as a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. After these trips, he was always eager to get back to his hill. His keen intelligence, dry wit, and unassuming manner will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Heun) Locke of Corinth; daughters, Emily G. Locke, of Washington, DC and Caroline F. Locke, of Dedham, Mass.; son, William H. Locke, of Boston, Mass.; brother, David H. Locke of Holliston, Mass.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his brother, John A. Locke and sister, Dorothy L. Goldsworthy.
Visiting hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, 2015, at Hale Funeral Home, 187 Upper Plain, Bradford, VT 05033. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015, at the East Corinth Congregational Church, 645 Village Rd, East Corinth, VT 05040. Interment will be in the Corinth Center Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Allen’s memory may be made to: Northern Woodlands Center for Woodland Education, PO Box 471, 1776 Center Road, Corinth, VT 05039; Allen W. & Florence H. Locke Memorial Fund, c/o Newton Wellesley Hospital, 2014 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02462