Kathleen "Kathy" Helen (Donlon) Lockwood, 81, of Zephyrhills, Florida, formerly of Wooster, Ohio, died July 20, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Kathy was born Sept. 5, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Harold Donlon (Donelon) and Mary Donlon (née Pales).

Kathleen's Early Life

She lived in Cleveland until 1950, then moved to South Euclid. The family attended Christ the King Catholic Church, where she was baptized. Later, she attended St. Margaret Mary Church in South Euclid, where she made her First Communion and Confirmation. Kathy graduated from Charles F. Brush High School in 1962.

Adult life

In 1965, Kathy met Harold "Hal" Lockwood on a blind double date — Hal brought his cousin Gil Peck, and Kathy brought her best friend Diane. By the end of the evening, the pairings had sorted themselves out for good: Diane married Gil, and Kathy married Hal, on Jan. 21, 1966, in Mentor, Ohio. Hal worked for Bell Telephone Company, and Kathy worked as a telephone operator; in one of the family's favorite stories, he once called her from the top of a telephone pole.

Hal was Kathy's Elvis. If you ever wanted to see her smile, all it took was "Jailhouse Rock" or "Blue Suede Shoes" — Hal would come over, ask her to dance, and the two of them would twirl and twirl.

Together, two kids from Cleveland, they shared a dream of buying a farm and living off the land with their three children. Over the years they made their home in Madison, North Madison, Lebanon, Greenville and Wooster, Ohio, and later in Zephyrhills, Florida. Life on the farm was a little like "Green Acres" — without the humor. OK, some humor. You don't buy 7 acres, 200 hogs and a 1942 Case tractor without having a sense of humor.

Over the years, Kathy worked at Kmart, Walmart and PBS Livestock. She had a soft spot that never went away for any creature in need, and she was forever bringing home orphaned animals — there was always room at the Lockwoods' for one more.

Kathy loved traveling, gardening, learning and her family. She had a deep love of the news and of politics, and a lifelong love of literature. Among her favorite passages was one from "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions," by the English poet John Donne:

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main... Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Kathleen Lockwood is survived by

Kathy is survived by her husband of 60 years, Harold "Hal" Lockwood; her three children, Kristie Ann Wilson (John Wilson), Denise Louise Lockwood (Larry Davis) and Kelly Lee Lockwood; her sister, Mary Ann Donlon; five grandchildren, Beth Wilson (fiancé Bob Castor), Rob Wilson (Emily Wilson), Katheryn Faith Knoff (fiancé Alexander Ersing), Adam Brindle and Jill Brindle; and her great-grandchildren, Winston Sterling Wilson, Ember Katiya Ersing and Luna Rose Ersing.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold Donlon (Donelon) and Mary Donlon (née Pales).

Memorial service information to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Gulfside Healthcare Services in Kathy's memory. Our family would like to thank all of the staff at Gulfside for the compassion and care they provided to Kathy Lockwood and her family.

The family will be having a remembrance service for Kathy from 11:30 to 2:30. Friday, July 24th, at the Southport Springs Golf & Country Club, 3509 Southport Springs Pkwy.