Rewind to Good Neighbor Ken Lockwood

Ken Lockwood at his 90th birthday party in 2012 Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Ken Lockwood at his 90th birthday party in 2012
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

It’s spring. Block party time has come.

And, with the advent of that sort of celebration of a neighborhood, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are taking a look back at good neighbors.

So, we’re kicking off what will be a daily ode with our Retro Pic of the Day honoring Ken Lockwood.

Lockwood lived in Fair Haven for 88 years, nearly as long as the borough’s existence. He moved to Fair Haven at the age of 2 and is now 93.

At his 90th birthday gala three years ago, Lockwood happily shared his memories, which he said were the best anyone could hope for solely because of his “associations” in town, and, specifically on his block, Parker Avenue.

Having lived in one of the last remaining bungalows in the area until 2012, Lockwood said over and over again that the fondest memories of his life spent in a tiny red house on the modest street where he lived were “the people, all the people … I guess was in love with everybody there, you know.”

He talked of his time picking asparagus in the fields that are now filled with houses and laying in the grass to star gaze with his neighbor, Perry.

“What was I noted for?” he repeated when asked. “Not anything important, I don’t think.”

Yes, you were noted for something important, Ken Lockwood. You were and are not only noted, but forever remembered, as a good neighbor, free of pretense or judgement. And something like that is all that really matters.

And, by the way, we were in love with you, too.

It doesn’t get much sweeter than that in a small town.

Give us a nomination, with a photo, of your own good neighbor and we will feature that person in this Retro Pic of the Day series. 

 

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