Arnold Locket Jr.
October 6, 1929 – December 31, 2013

Arnold Locket lived a life of service to others. Born October 6, 1929 to Lucille Moore and Arnold Locket Sr. in Bethel, North Carolina, he quickly found his calling to serve. As a young man at the age of 18 years old, Arnold joining the US Army to serve his country. While stationed at Tuskegee he met Jeffie Douglas. They later married on May 17, 1954.

Arnold served his country in the US Army from February 16, 1948 to June 22, 1968. Following 20 years of dedicated service he retired with an honorable discharge as Sergeant First Class. Arnold served during the Korean Conflict Era, Vietnam Era and peacetime eras. During his military service he attended the Defense Language Institute where he learned to fluently speak Mandarin Chinese and Korean. With this training he served in the capacity as an interpreter which contributed to his role as an ambassador for the US Army and the US Government. During 1952 - 1953 he maintained records for over 200 ROTC Cadets at Tuskegee Institute now Tuskegee University. While in combat during the Korean Conflict Arnold was wounded earning his Purple Heart. As a Sergeant First Class his final ranking before retiring, he oversaw The Personnel Services Division. Arnold was extremely proud of his military career. He often jokingly classified himself as a "disabled veteran" when he was looking for a sympathetic by-standing family member or friend to fix his plate.

Following his military service, Arnold continued what he loved, serving people. In January 1971 Arnold received a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Social Work and Social Planning from Northern Arizona University. He entered public service as a second career with Northern District Vocational Rehabilitation as a Rehabilitation Counselor. His desires to serve lead him to take on positions that provided an opportunity to serve more. He later acted as the Program Director for the Coconino Community Guidance Center for the Comprehensive Alcohol Program and on October 3, 1977 he was named Coconino County Manpower Director. He also worked with NACA and JTPA assisting Migrant farm workers and Native Americans throughout the reservation. Perhaps his most cherished public service work was his participation on the Foster Care Review Board.

Along with public service, Arnold desired to serve his church his God and his community. On June 27, 1976 Arnold was ordained as a minister at the First Missionary Baptist Church where he also later served as an Associate Minister. In the late 70's and early 80's Arnold served as the President of the Flagstaff Branch NAACP. Even later in life he was an ambassador of goodwill working for Sam's Club where he found pleasure talking to and feeding the masses from his sampling table.

Preceded in Death by: Mother Lucille Long, Father Arnold Locket Sr., Stepfather Jack Long, Daughters Leona Locket-Joyce and Gwen Holden,

Survived by wife Jeffie Locket, sister Janie Griffin, son and daughter in-law Lambert and Eulla Locket, son and daughter in-law Lyman and Linnette Locket, Grandchildren Donna, Beatrice, Ashley, Austin, Vangie, Lambert Jr., Katreese, Chawndra, Tiana, Brandon seven (7) Great Grandchildren, several Godchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and a few Granddogs.

To our beloved Arnold, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, godfather and friend, words cannot express how much you will be missed.

A visitation will take place Friday, January 10, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Norvel Owens Mortuary Chapel, 914 E. Route 66. Funeral services will be Saturday, January 11, at 11:00 am in Prochnow Auditorium, 326 W. Dupont Ave on the Northern Arizona University campus. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the DREAMS Scholarship Foundation.