Hester Lockett Gregory Kirkham

Hester Lockett Gregory Kirkham passed away peacefully on March 23, 2026, at The Cardinal Senior Community in Raleigh, North Carolina, surrounded by her beloved family. She was 92 years old and enjoyed a full and active life.

Born on May 13, 1933, in Brenham, Texas, to Hester Smith Lockett and Reese Blake Lockett, she was a woman of extraordinary intellect and grace, whose life unfolded across two continents. Lockett Gregory Kirkham - three different surnames and three different lives.

Her mother and father instilled in Hester the importance of contributing to the church and the community. Her father served as the mayor of Brenham for 28 years, in addition to his work in business and ranching. He loved horses and rodeos and taught Hester to ride at an early age. However, what she most enjoyed was reading and writing, interests that would play a significant role throughout her life.

She attended the University of Texas, where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and was inducted into the School of Education Honor Society. She graduated with a degree in education and began her teaching career in Austin, Texas.

It was there, in 1956, that fate intervened. While teaching sixth grade, she met Thorne Gregory, a dashing Air Force pilot from Halifax, North Carolina. He was stationed in nearby San Marcos and competed for the Air Force Tennis Team. They married on February 23, 1957, and settled in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. Thorne joined his father at the Bank of Halifax. Hester continued teaching and quickly became an integral part of the community, especially excelling at the bridge table. She served in the Sir Walter Raleigh Cabinet, a service organization for legislative wives, while Thorne represented Halifax County in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1960 to 1968.

In those years, she became one of the early organizers of Historic Halifax, including the site commemorating the Halifax Resolves, the first official call by a colony for independence from England in 1776. She was instrumental in relocating and restoring the Sally Billie House, which Life Magazine highlighted as a landmark of historic preservation.

When the Bank of Halifax merged with BB&T in 1968, Thorne became BB&T’s City Executive in Raleigh, and the family moved with him, first to Raleigh and then to Wilson, NC, when Thorne rose to President and CEO of BB&T. Those were years of much gracious entertaining, leading Hester to take an interest in cuisine. She learned from Julia Child's cookbooks and PBS cooking show and became an accomplished cook and hostess who delighted in welcoming friends and business associates to her table.

Hester enjoyed attending UNC football games with her family. After providing an elaborate tailgate, she would send everyone off to Kenan Stadium, and she would go to Wilson Library, preferring to spend her afternoon reading and researching genealogy.

The sudden death of Thorne Gregory in February 1982 was a profound loss. In the years that followed, Hester’s interest in British history led her to travel annually to London. She served on the host committee for an event in Raleigh sponsored by The English-Speaking Union to commemorate the connection between the city of Raleigh and Sherborne Castle, the ancestral home of Sir Walter Raleigh. The keynote speaker for the event was John Kirkham, the Bishop of Sherborne in the Church of England. Hester and John met, and their mutual love of history, especially military history, made for an immediate connection. After several years of daily letter writing and visiting “across the Pond,” they fell in love and were married in October 1986. The ceremony was officiated by The Most Reverend Robert Runcie, The Archbishop of Canterbury, along with her good friend, the Reverend Dan Sapp of Christ Church Raleigh. The wedding was held in the Chapel at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop’s residence in London.

Hester embarked on a remarkable new chapter of life in England. In Sturminster Marshall, Dorset, she supported John in his work as the Bishop of Sherborne. In 1992, he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II to become the Bishop to Her Majesty’s Forces. He had served in the British Army before joining the Church, which made him the perfect candidate for a position that took him to British military bases all over the world. For Hester, it was a great honor and privilege to accompany John on his speaking engagements as Bishop to the Forces, including the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain in Westminster Abbey, the 81st Anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli in Cyprus, the 50th anniversary of the D-Day launches on the Dorset Coast of England, and the Armistice Day commemoration at Notre Dame in Paris. During that time, she documented the interesting life they led in detailed letters for friends and family. Many of these letters have been kept and saved as treasures.

After retirement in 2001, Hester and “Papa John”, as he was lovingly called by her children, moved to the wonderful village of Bishopstone, outside of Salisbury, England. There, Hester found a warm and interesting community of people who became dear friends. After John died in October 2019, the Covid pandemic arrived early the following year. The Bishopstone neighbors took great care of each other, providing meals, groceries, and medicines, and regularly stepping out into the lane to visit and check in with each other from a distance. For example, Hester would provide lunches from the local pub for her neighbors to collect. When the London Times announced a contest to celebrate the “Best Neighborhood in Britain”, Hester enthusiastically nominated Bishopstone. She wrote to the Times about her cherished neighbors who lovingly cared for each other during the quarantine. Hester’s exceptional letter won the competition for Bishopstone, and they were featured in a full-page article in the London Times - Weekend Edition. In September 2020, she made the difficult decision to say goodbye to her beloved neighbors and move back to Raleigh to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Hester was a woman of intellectual pursuits - a tournament bridge player, avid gardener, genealogist, and voracious reader. Her love of houses and interiors complemented her love of entertaining. Reflecting her deep interest in heritage and history, she was a member of The National Society of Colonial Dames, The Mayflower Society, The Huguenot Society, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Hester Kirkham is survived by her brother, Reese Blake Lockett, Jr., and his wife Karen, of Houston, Texas; her four children, Hester Gregory Hodde and her husband Bob of Hilton Head Island, SC; Wynn Gregory Dorsett and her husband Jim of Raleigh, NC; Anne Gregory Pace and her husband Taylor of Raleigh, NC; and Thorne Gregory, Jr., and his wife Carmen of Norwalk, CT; as well as fourteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to the devoted caregivers at The Cardinal and to the compassionate team at Transitions Hospice for the tenderness and dignity with which they cared for her.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, May 19th, at 2:00 p.m. Christ Church, 120 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh. All are invited to join the family for a reception in the Parish Hall immediately following the service.

Private inurnments will be held at the Christ Church Columbarium and at the family cemetery in Halifax, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Christ Church, 120 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh is serving the family.