The Bartlesville community is mourning the loss of longtime City Councilor and former Mayor Ted D. Lockin, who passed away Sunday at the age of 89.
Whether through his role as a City leader, a 30-year member of the Phillips Petroleum team or the owner/operator of the car dealership Premier Motors for many years, Lockin was regarded as a “gentleman” and a consummate public servant who dedicated his life to making Bartlesville better.
“Ted Lockin was a gentleman, a wonderful friend and a dedicated public servant,” said Mayor Dale Copeland. “His attention to our community was constant and his willingness to serve in any capacity requested was the cornerstone of several local accomplishments. I learned so much from Ted in my service with our City Council. I always enjoyed our visits when I could draw upon his depth of knowledge — about city government, cars and more. Bartlesville will miss Ted Lockin and his positive, can-do spirit. We express our heartfelt condolences to his family during this time of loss.”
An Iowa native who relocated to Bartlesville in 1970 as an employee of Phillips Petroleum, Lockin was first elected to the City Council to represent Ward 1 in 1997. He served on the council as vice mayor for two years (1997-1999) before being named mayor by his fellow councilors in 2000. He served in that capacity until 2005, when he left the council, until returning in 2011. He retired from the council in 2016.
In his role as mayor, Lockin helped steer the city through several trying times including the relocation of the city’s then-largest employer from Bartlesville and a severe drought that nearly drained the City’s primary water supply, Hulah Lake, in 2002. Each challenge appeared to help better prepare him for the next one, and he was quick to share the lessons he learned with newer members on the council.
“Mayor Lockin always managed to be even tempered and calm no matter the situation,” said Oklahoma Sen. Julie Daniels, a former Bartlesville mayor who served on the City Council with Lockin. “This was helpful to all of us in City government. When I first joined the council he invited me for coffee to get to know each other. He offered one piece of advice. He said, ‘Represent your ward but remember when you take a vote you are making decisions for all of Bartlesville.’ He loved Bartlesville so much and served her well.”
“I bought my first car from Ted in 1985,” said longtime Bartlesville resident and former Mayor Tom Gorman. “He was a gentleman then and retained that stature through life. He was a great supporter of Bartlesville in many ways for many decades — a leader in the Chamber of Commerce and member of City Council and mayor for many years. I had the privilege of working with Ted for many years, and he was always a stalwart supporter of Bartlesville and the business community. Bartlesville is a better place as a result of the service of Ted Lockin to our community.”
While Lockin’s leadership during the early 2000s helped set the pace for many things to come — ongoing economic development efforts and the implementation of the water reuse system, for instance — much of his work can be seen in Bartlesville every day.
“Ted was a true champion for our community,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “He was instrumental in so many projects over the years that have become a part of our city and our everyday life. It was on his mayoral watch that the City Hall building was acquired, Silver Lake and Price roads were extended and several businesses, including the Walmart Distribution Center, were recruited, creating jobs and bringing additional sales tax dollars into our community. I’ve never met anyone quite like him. He was tireless when it came to advocating for what was right for Bartlesville, and he never ran out of ideas on how to make our community better. I will miss him greatly, and our community is worse off for his passing.”
Retired City Manager Ed Gordon agrees.
“Ted was a visionary; he really was,” said Gordon. “He had the ability to take an idea and conceptualize that idea, and he knew the right people to pull together to make that idea come true. His work on passing the Half-cent Economic Sales Tax and in helping to secure long-term water storage and supply for Bartlesville decades into the future will have long-lasting implications for our city. Literally, the water we drink tomorrow will be part of Ted Lockin’s legacy.”
Retired City Attorney Jerry Maddux, a longtime friend and colleague, puts it simply: Ted Lockin will be missed.
“Ted was a gentleman and a great person,” Maddux said. “He was a wonderful mayor, and it was a privilege and honor to work with and know him.”
Lockin is survived by his wife, Maxine, and children Doug Lockin of Houston, Texas, Ann Lockin Hacker of Ramona, and Linda Lockin Ricks of Broken Arrow, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. See the full obituary at www.stumpffobituary.org.
Services for Lockin are set for 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in the Community Hall at the Bartlesville Community Center under the direction of Stumpff Funeral home & Crematory.