Gaye Lockwood was born among the redwoods in Eureka. Calif. While she was small, her father accepted a position as elementary school principal in San Jose, which became her home until she left for college in San Diego.

A severe case of wanderlust caused her to miss a year of college while she backpacked her way through Europe. Upon her return, she graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in education; however, her work has centered on computer security.

While at a trade show in San Francisco, she met Joel, who became her husband. They have four children, Josh who is married, Jake in the 10th grade, twins Laurel and Ethan in seventh grade, and granddaughter Lauryn.

Although Joel and Gaye had enjoyed summer vacations on Flathead Lake for many years, it wasn’t until five years ago that they discovered Whitefish while on a ski vacation. They loved the area, and after visiting with friends and hearing about the quality of life, they returned in two weeks to check it out, and as Gaye says, “The rest is history.”

She describes this as “a fantastic place to raise your children” and states that her favorite part of the newspaper is reading the crime report — because there isn’t any. No gang violence, no drive-by shootings, and no daily reports of people being killed. In her words, “This is a fabulous community we live in, and we take so much for granted.”

Gaye is active in fundraising, is involved in various youth activities, is a stalwart of the middle school PTA, and spearheads the Bulldog Buzz Parent and Student Directory. Co-workers say that she gives tirelessly of herself and, although she works full-time and travels extensively for a software security company, she always finds time to give to the community. They describe her as organized, dedicated and always anxious to lend a hand.

Gaye, we are glad you found us. The good that comes from your work with the youth of our community is immeasurable, and we thank you.

— Jake Heckathorn

This column is dedicated to those who give freely of their time and energy to worthwhile community projects, but whose efforts often go unnoticed. If you know such a person, please e-mail [email protected].