Rachel Ann Lockett

Rachel Ann Lockett, age 88, wife of the late Mortimer Winfield Lockett, of Machias, ME, passed away on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 in the The Landing at Collegeville, Collegeville, PA. Born in Kinston, NC she was a daughter of the late Frederick Preston and Eldred (Rhem) Heath. Mrs. Lockett was a graduate of Contentnea High School in Kinston, NC. She completed her undergraduate studies at East Carolina University in 1956 and received her Master's degree in Education from the University of Virginia. She was a physical education teacher for the Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, VA, and retired as the principal of the Potomac High School. Mrs. Lockett was not only a caring educator, but she was also a gifted coach. In her first year at Gar-Field High School, she took over the struggling girls basketball program, and turned it into a success. Two years later, she initiated the immediately successful girl's junior varsity basketball team. During her tenure at Gar-Field, she would go on to coach gymnastics, track and field, tennis, and softball. During her 21 years of coaching before moving into administration, she coached every girls sport offered at the time. Her teams excelled in every aspect of the word. The basketball teams won four county championships, district and regional titles, and the state championship in 1975. Her track and field teams won three straight titles from 1974-1976. Over all, she won multiple state championships as a coach in basketball, track and field, and gymnastics. She coached state champion gymnast Johnna DeGrasse in 1967, and was immensely proud to have coached future Olympians Paula Girven and gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald. She was also instrumental in the creation of what is now the Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department, and she was the catalyst for bringing AAU basketball to the area. In addition to a great coaching career, she was a pioneer, a leader, a motivator, and a mentor who's coaching career led her to be inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. In addition to her career as an educator and coach, Mrs. Lockett was also a talented woodworker. She owned Wicker and Wood, a business in which she specialized in creating wooden figurines and holiday wreaths. Mrs. Lockett had a passion for golfing, gardening, and trips to the casino. She loved Christmas, and was an avid collector of lighthouses. She and her husband loved Machias, ME, where they settled into their retirement home together. Along with her husband, she was an active member, and instrumental in the preservation of, the Roque Bluffs Community Chapel. Mrs. Lockett is survived by two sons, Shaun W., husband of Maura Lockett of Phoenixville, PA and Christopher W., husband of Brenda Lockett of Los Angeles, CA; five grandchildren, Melissa Lockett, James, husband of Alyson Lockett, Caroline, wife of Nathaniel Sabatt, Timothy Lockett and Caitlin Lockett; and one great-grandson, Nolan Sabatt. She was preceded in death by three siblings, Frederick P. Heath, Jr., Evelyn McDaniel, and Thomas Heath. Funeral services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Condolences may be offered online at www.PhoenixvilleFuneralHome.com. Arrangements are being handled by the Campbell - Ennis - Klotzbach Funeral Home, Inc., Phoenixville, PA.

Rachel Ann Lockett

July 24, 1934 - November 15, 2022