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Lockemy Courtyard Dedicated
By Bob Braddy
A sizable crowd gathered on N. MacArthur Avenue in Dillon Tuesday evening for the dedication of the new Courtyard which had been constructed by the City of Dillon. It was named The Lockemy Courtyard for the role Judge James Lockemy played in its creation, and he is fully deserving of this honor.
Not long ago, James and I stood in this spot and looked at the rotting, leaking collapsing building which stood here. We saw what an eyesore it was and the destructive effect it was having to The Dillon County Theater building which stood adjacent to it. I’m sure James was especially disturbed because his law firm had donated the theatre building to us more than 20 years ago, and he is proud of what it had become over the years.
I shook my head and walked away. James left determined to do something about the situation…and he did. He bought the building, knowing that it had no resale value except to demolish it and try to sell the lot. But he had another idea. He approached the Mayor and City Council with the offer to deed them the property if they would take down the building and create a courtyard. That took some negotiating, but they finally had an agreement to do just that, and what now stands in that space is the result.
I want to thank personally Mayor Davis, the Councilmen, City Manager Wagner, Maggie Riales, Burt Rogers and all of the others who played a part in bringing this about. It is a lasting enhancement to our city and it will be put to good use many times in the years to come.
I can’t pass up this opportunity to tell you about some of James’ accomplishments and recognitions. After serving in the S.C. House of Representatives for eight years, he became a Circuit Court Judge in 1989. Just last year he was elected to serve on the SC Court of Appeals. He will be serving with Judge John Few who spoke at the dedication ceremony, and who will become Chief Appeals Court Justice soon.
Judge Lockemy’s military career began in 1974. He moved up the ranks, served a tour of duty overseas in Kosovo, and returned from active duty in 2004 with the rank of Colonel. Presently he is a Brigadier General in the SC Military Department.
He has received many awards and recognitions for his service to our State and country. He was awarded The Order of the Palmetto in 2005, Dillon County Citizen of the Year in 1987, and Military Veteran of the Year in 1999. He is also the recipient of The Dolph Braddy award given annually by The Chamber of Commerce.
He was inducted into the Dixie Youth Baseball Honor Roll in 2007 in recognition for his dedicated coaching of his Kiwanis Youth Baseball Rangers for 30 years, from 1980 to present. I have never heard James express this, but I feel certain that this endeavor is probably the most rewarding of all that he has done. As their coach he has been able to influence and set good examples of character, courage, good sportsmanship- and what it takes to win. Remarkably, he has managed to take each of his teams on a memorable sightseeing and education trip at the end of each season, to such exciting places as Washington, Atlanta and many others. I know these young men will never forget these trips, and the coach who made them possible.
My wife Alice describes James as “Bigger than Life,” and that’s a pretty good description. He deserves our thanks for all that he has done for our community, our state and our country. He is a great American, and he makes us proud.
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Also participating in the program were Mayor Todd Davis; Pat Laird, President of the Dillon County Theatre Board; Marilyn Lockemy Carter, family member; Dan E. Lockemy, family member; Rev. Michael Rouse, who gave the invocation; and Rev. Frankie Thomas, who gave the benediction. Special remarks were made by the Honorable John Few, Chief Justice of the S.C. Court of Appeals.
The City of Dillon did a great deal of the work at the courtyard site including demolition and construction of the courtyard and many Dillon citizens contributed their hard work to the project.
At the conclusion of the dedication, everyone in attendance was invited to enjoy the fellowship and refreshments.
