William Oscar Lockman

William “Bill” Oscar Lockman, 81, of Idaho Falls, passed away January 15, 2026, at MorningStar Senior Living Center surrounded by his family. He was under the care of Oakstone Hospice.

Bill was born on January 18, 1944, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Herman Frazier Lockman and Edith Melvina Regan Lockman. He grew up in Memphis and graduated from Central High School. Bill attended Memphis University where he received his B.S. and M.A. in Environmental Science and Geography. Next, he attended the University of Kansas and worked on his PhD in Meteorology and Geography.

During Bill’s years at Memphis University, he worked as the printer for the Union Avenue Baptist Church where he met Reba Fayne Risner, who was directing the new kindergarten for the church. They fell in love and were married on August 21, 1965. They were married for 61 years.

Bill and Reba had the privilege of making their home in many different places around the United States and the world for his work as an Environmental Science Engineer. They lived in Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, Colorado, Georgia, West Virginia, Australia, and eventually ended up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Even though Bill worked in industry, he spent many years teaching an array of environmental management and meteorology classes on the university level and loved teaching Biblical history and archeology.

Bill grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and later attended First Presbyterian Church, and finally First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Idaho Falls. He was a member of Gideons International for 44 years and held many local and state offices including the privilege of serving as President of the Idaho/Utah Gideons a few times and spent time in Barcelona, Spain, working with the local Gideons.

In Bill’s younger years, he spent several summers working at Ridgecrest Camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and was involved with the archaeological activity around the Chucalissa Indian Village settlement, in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Later, Bill and Reba directed a program for International Students at Colorado School of Mines to help create a positive impression of America. He was a co-founder and associate editor of an international journal about minerals and the environment and sat on numerous boards for environment, industry, and safety. Bill’s true joy was being a father and granddaddy, but he also loved classical music, reading, traveling, rocks, model trains, biblical history and archaeology, studying words and their history, SEC football, watching University of Kansas basketball and held a deep fondness for bow ties which he wore often.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Robin (David) Laug of Idaho Falls; granddaughter, Maddie Laug of Idaho Falls; and sister-in-law, Carla (James) Mills of Bartlesville, OK.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Reba Lockman; and parents, Herman and Edith Lockman.

A gathering will be held from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at Wood Funeral Home East Side, 963 South Ammon Road.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Gideons International.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.woodfuneralhome.com