Herbert R. Locke

Herb grew up in Philadelphia, PA. The son of Noah Locke and Sarah Stoumen Locke, he was born Nov. 25, 1925. Like his father, he graduated from Central High School, one of the original magnet high schools in the country.

After his freshman year at Penn State, Mr. Locke enlisted in the Navy and joined a 90-day officers training program at Notre Dame. On completion, he arrived in Japan just at the conclusion of World War II and was among the first Allied occupation forces. At 19, he was appointed by Adm. Halsey as chief entertainment officer for Tokyo and for the Yokasuka naval base. His military service included stints in China and New York. After his naval service, Herb returned to Penn State where he was a cheerleader, an officer in his fraternity, and an active organizer of campus activities. Herb graduated with a degree in industrial engineering.

Most of Herb’s career was spent as a packaging engineer, operating his own packaging businesses in Philadelphia and in North Carolina, until his retirement in 1992. More than a businessman, he was an innovator in the packaging field, developing government and industry container standards for all forms of worldwide shipping and designing specialized containers for high-value electronics.

A resident of North Raleigh for 50 years, Herb was a member of North Ridge Country Club and Yavneh Synagogue. Throughout his life, he remained a big booster for Penn State and fundraiser for the Technion University in Israel. In retirement, he was a long-term volunteer for Step-up ministry and Hospice of Wake County. Over a period of 12 years, he worked with engineering students at Penn State and NC State on packaging projects for local industry.

He is survived by his wife, Johnnye Locke (Raleigh); by four children—Wendi Keene (Phoenix, AZ), Scott Locke (Raleigh), Donna Kurtz (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) and Gary Locke (Austin, TX); and by two stepdaughters—Amy Greiner (Tucson, AZ) and Elizabeth O’Connor (Morrisville). He had 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two brothers: Louis Locke and Harry Locke.

Herbert Locke will be fondly remembered by friends and family as a passionate promoter of higher education, an enthusiastic golfer and a lover of fine arts.

A graveside service will be held 2:00 pm Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at Raleigh Hebrew Cemetery, 450 N. State Street, Raleigh.

Condolences may be sent through: brownwynne.com