Newton Lockhart

Newton F. ("Newt") Lockhart, loving family man and friend, died in Brevard on Friday afternoon , June 3, 2016 after a brief illness. He was 89.

He was born on September 21, 1926 in Stratford, Connecticut, the son of John C. and Lillian B. Lockhart. He grew up sailing on the New England coast with his two brothers. Newt graduated early from high school so that he could enlist in the US Navy in 1944, and saw action in the Pacific aboard the USS Oberon in the waning months of World War II. Always musically inclined, one of his duties aboard ship was serving as ship's bugler. Returning from the war, he worked his way through college at Northeastern University, earning a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1954. He was employed upon graduation by the fledgling technology company, IBM. Centrally involved in the design of memory systems for IBM's large mainframe computers in the 1960s and 1970s, he retired from the company in 1985 after 32 years. He met his wife Marilyn, a computer programmer for IBM, at a folk dance class in 1957. They were married in 1958, and raised their family in Poughkeepsie, New York.

In "retirement," Newt never really slowed down. A talented handyman and carpenter, he spent nearly 25 years renovating their retirement home in Brevard, doing the vast majority of the work himself. He and Marilyn travelled extensively, to Alaska, Australia, Europe, and to a special spot on the rocky coast of Maine. He was active in the community life of First United Methodist Church in Brevard, and an avid fan of the Brevard Music Center. Most importantly, he was an incredible husband, father, grandfather, and friend. His ability to listen and to love was beyond measure.

He is survived by an ever-expanding family, including his wife of nearly 58 years, Marilyn (Woodyard) Lockhart, his sons and daughters-in-law Keith and Emiley Lockhart of Boston, Massachusetts and Paul and Mary (Fradin) Lockhart of Dayton, Ohio, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his brother and sister-in-law, Donald and Bernice Lockhart of Isle of Capri, Florida. Newton was predeceased by his older brother, Jack Lockhart.

A service celebrating Newt's life will be held on Tuesday, June 7th at 2:00 PM at First United Methodist Church in Brevard. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his honor to the Brevard Music Center, Habitat for Humanity, or the Generation to Generation Fund at First United Methodist Church in Brevard.

To leave a condolence for the family of Newton Lockhart, please visit "obituaries" at www.moore-fh.com . Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations is serving the family.