Lucile “Lockie” Stafford Proctor, 78, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 21, 2016, after a short battle with lung cancer. A viewing will take place Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 9am to 12pm at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Avenue, Princeton, NJ, followed by a service held at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer St, Princeton, NJ at 1:00 pm. Burial and reception will follow. Lockie is survived by her four children, Perry (Debbie) Crisfield, Holly (Rick) Callanan, Lucy Proctor, and Toby (Darcy) Proctor; six grandchildren, Jay, Ryan, Cori, Allie, Ella, and Jack; and her three brothers, Paul, Tim, and Mark Stafford and their families. She was predeceased by her brother, Todd Stafford.
Lockie was born in Philadelphia, PA, to Lucile Fenn and Paul Tutt Stafford, and was raised in Princeton, NJ, where she lived her entire childhood and most of her adult life. Her father was a professor at the university, and her mother was an artist and active in the community. Lockie followed in her parents’ footsteps through her pursuit and support of education and her devotion to the Princeton community.
She attended Miss Fine’s School (now Princeton Day School) and then Wellesley College from which she graduated in 1960 with a B.A. in English. She remained active in alumni activities of both schools, attended all of her reunions, and held numerous leadership positions in the Wellesley College Club of Central NJ. She had a passion for learning, and endeavored to further her education by taking courses at Princeton University and the University of Nevada. Most importantly she traveled the world with her mother and retained a love for travel by sharing it with her family.
Her passions were many, and numerous community organizations were the beneficiaries of her boundless energy and commitment. She served on the Montgomery Township Board of Education for nine years and held the position of president. She was a singer, board member, and passionate supporter of Princeton Pro Musica. She was an active member of Trinity Church, where she served on the Altar Guild, and the Present Day Club, where she regularly played bridge, loved the book group, and enjoyed their many activities.
One would think there would be barely any time left for anything else, but her involvement with the Stony Brook Garden Club and the Garden Club of America eclipsed all her other activities. She became a member of the SBGC 26 years ago, was President in 1999-2000, and won the Adra Fairman Daffodil Award 13 times. She became certified as a national judge for the Garden Club of America and was presented with the GCA’s 2014 Horticultural Award.
A summary of her life would not be complete without mentioning so many other things that shaped her life: her many pets, especially those misbehaving dogs; her summers in Cotuit, Massachusetts and at the Basin Harbor Club in Vermont; her love of books, bridge, everything Christmas, opera, theater, the Yankees and cooking; her membership in the Huguenot Society and interest in family history; her many “collections” of stamps, marble clocks, shoes, reading glasses, and catalogs (to name a few); and her tremendous pride in the achievements of her children and grandchildren.
Her “calling card” summed it up perfectly. She was a “singer, student, politico, dog lover, gardener, cook, leader, mom, grandmom, and friend,” who was loved dearly and will be missed by many. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lockie’s name to any of the organizations mentioned above where you may have shared a connection with Lockie.
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