John W. Locke, 91, passed away peacefully on September 11, 2024 after a brief illness. John was born in LaSalle, Illinois on January 27, 1933 to George and Blanche Locke. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Margaret, his daughter and son-in-law, Barbara Locke and Paul Eschbach, his parents, and both of his siblings, Janet Sale and Joan Locke. John lived a full and eventful life, loved meeting new people and sharing a meal and a joke with family and friends.

John and his wife, Margaret Kincius (Marge) of Chicago met and fell in love at the University of Illinois where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. They were married on July 9th, 1955.

John’s first job after school was with McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis in 1955 where he was an Aeronautical Engineer and Operations Research Analyst. He and his family then moved to Washington DC in 1962 where he first worked for Booz-Allen Applied Research and then in various capacities both in Government and the private sector. He was the first Executive Director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1973 and worked at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS - now National Institute for Standards and Technology-NIST). For the last 17 years before his retirement in 1996 he led laboratory accreditation programs, first at the Department of Commerce and NBS and then for the last 10 years as President of the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).

John and Marge retired to beautiful Hedgesville, WV in 1996 where he enjoyed playing golf, working at the church in nearby Berkeley Springs and hosting his children and grandchildren, often leading hikes and adventures in the surrounding countryside. In 2011, John and Marge moved to Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg where John enjoyed playing bridge, singing in the Asbury choir, joining friends for dinner and hosting his family for Sunday brunch.

A devout Catholic with a great love for God, John was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church by Cardinal Hickey in 1991 and served first at St. Jude in Rockville, then at St. Vincent de Paul in Berkeley Springs West Virginia. After he moved to Asbury, he stayed active and continued his dedicated service to the church by assisting at masses, bringing communion to the sick, and offering Catholic courses on DVD to interested residents even into his 90th year. He is survived by five children, Bill (Jean), Louise, Jean, Mary Lynott (Les) and Jim (Lisa). A sixth child, Barbara Locke died in November 2012. Her husband, Paul Eschbach died in 2005. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren of whom he was very proud.

John’s life will be celebrated at a Mass of Christian Burial in the Guild Chapel at Asbury Methodist Village, 211 Russell Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD on Monday, October 7, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. A reception at Asbury will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s name to SOME (So Others May Eat), the Asbury Foundation, Maryknoll Lay Missioners, or a charity of your choice.

The family would appreciate viewing any and all photos that you might have of John, which can be uploaded under "Share a Memory".