Florence Forbes Locke
12/01/11
Florence “Florry” Forbes Locke, of Milton, died at home Nov. 18.

Born in 1918, she was the daughter of Alexander Forbes and Charlotte Grinnell Forbes, and a sister of Katharine Forbes Goodhue, Janet Forbes Frothingham and A. Irving Forbes. She was married to W. Andrew Locke in 1965 until his death in 2002.

Mrs. Locke graduated from Beaver Country Day School in 1937 and Sarah Lawrence College in 1942 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and underwent additional summer training in dance, drama and theater design at Bennington School of Arts. She received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Denver in 1949 after participating in a variety troupe, putting on shows for servicemen during the war years, then working at the University of Chicago Settlement in Illinois, and the Actors’ Theatre in Nantucket.

From 1951 to 1969, except for a three-year leave to help start the Colorado Springs School with Margaret Campbell, she taught art and crafts at Dedham Country Day School and directed the sixth-grade plays. Always eager for new inspiration, she took painting classes from Carl Nelson and ceramics at the Boston YWCA.

In 1978, she created a large-scale family tree depicting many generations and spanning three walls. It has since been translated into a complete genealogical index of eight generations of her family with photographs and vital statistics of more than 700 relatives.

Together with her husband, she continued to enjoy traveling, sailing, skiing and horseback riding, and remained committed to various environmental groups, the Unitarian Church and her Milton and island homes.

Her nephews and nieces, as far back as they can remember, have always treasured the interests and adventures that she shared with them.

She is survived by two sisters-in-law, Ellen Fuller Forbes and Margery S. Forbes; and 11 nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 10, at 11 a.m. at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 535 Canton Ave. It will be followed by a reception at the church.

Donations may be made to Neponset River Watershed Association, 2173 Washington St., Canton, MA 02021 or Buzzards Bay Coalition, 114 Front St., New Bedford, MA 02740.

Arrangements were by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home.