MT. CARMEL, Ill. - A southeastern Illinois police chief who bravely battled one of the most vicious forms of cancer has died following a stroke.
John Lockhart, 61, died last night (Monday, April 23) after being hospitalized for the stroke. He had been suffering from - and treating successfully at times - pancreatic cancer for a number of years.
From his obituary, here's his background:
John faithfully served his Country in the United States Air Force. For twenty-five years he was employed at Kieffer Lumber Company. He began his Civil Service career with the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department and the West Salem Police Department as Chief of Police. On March 10, 1997 John joined the Mount Carmel Police Department where he remained for twenty-two years until his recent retirement. During his years with MCPD, John worked as a Patrol Officer and was the Sergeant K-9 handler before becoming Chief of Police on March 4, 2013. He was a hard worker who was well respected by his peers and the local community. He treated all people fairly and evenly. John had a love for history. He also had a great sense of humor that gave his family and friends many memories to cherish. In his spare time, John enjoyed fishing and turkey hunting. John loved his whole family dearly. His grandchildren held a special place in his heart and they were what kept him going. John will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
We chronicled the early stages of his fight with the cancer in a series of articles that you can read at this link.