On Saturday, June 12, 2021, the spirit world gained a brilliant and beautiful soul in Patsy Kathleen “Kathy” Dempsey Locke. We celebrate the immeasurable legacy of Kathy’s life as a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mama, granny, aunt, and friend. It’s a challenge to capture her vibrance, or the impact of her 75 years of love and devotion.
As a woman she was intriguing, and her beehive and red velvet dress caught the attention of a young man named Adam Locke at the Dome Shadows nightclub in 1966. She was smitten with his beautiful smile and it was love at first sight. A dynamic team, their 54-year marriage set the example of deep love, sacrifice, and companionship for our family.
She was lovely, charming, magnetic, and hilarious to her last day. She never met a stranger and was on a first name basis with folks in pretty much every storefront in the neighborhood where she lived for 47 years.
There are so many things we will miss about her – her sense of humor, her spontaneity, her knack for finding antique shops, and swimming holes in even the most remote locations. She was bold, adventurous, and strong. She made the most out of every situation, and had a talent for finding and sharing joy in everything she did – whether it was a trip to Walmart or a terrifying trek up an unmarked mountain pass in Big Bend. Her resourcefulness was unrivaled and bordered on witchcraft.
She gave great advice, told the best jokes, and could solve any ailment with Vaseline or warm lemon water. She was grounded and practical but whimsical. She instilled in her family a love of holidays and celebrations. She dedicated her life to making her family and friends feel important and loved, and she was and is so profoundly loved in return. Her legacy will live on in the volume of jokes, stories of our adventures, and our own experiences of the little things she made so extraordinary in our daily lives. We will miss you so dearly, mama.
She was born the third of four siblings on June 8, 1946, to Patsy and Marion Dempsey. She is preceded in death by her mother, Patsy Irene Sealy Stokes; father, Marion Garland Dempsey; and her brothers, Gary Dempsey and John Leger. She leaves behind her husband of 54 years, Adam Locke; sister, Garlene Weaver; daughters, Kelly Locke Kindall, Rachel Petty and husband Cory; grandchildren, Zoe Killian and husband Maverick, and Howell & Hyde Petty. Along with numerous nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.
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