Kathleen Lockhart

AIKEN, SC - Kathleen (Kass) Lockhart, 72, died after a long battle with Alzheimers Disease on April 11, 2020, at her residence at Benton House of Aiken.

     Born in Newark, Ohio, in 1948, Kass moved with the family at the age of 12 to Aiken, SC in 1960.  She graduated from Aiken High School in 1966,  attended Duke University, transferred to the University of Florida in 1968, where she was awarded a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1972.

     Her teaching career began at the University of Western Michigan, in Kalamazoo, then continued at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, where she met her husband Ron Tew.  They relocated to California, where they lived for 5 years, and where she taught motivational psychology to Naval officers.  In 1981, she and Ron moved to Dallas, TX, where she began her career in dressage.  Having studied with Charles de Kunffy in California and with Egon von Neindorff  at the Von Neindorf Reitschule Institut in Germany, she began teaching riders and training horses in the arts of dressage, and writing articles on dressage for publication, her occupation until 2009, when she retired, and relocated with Ron, and her German warmbloods Tiger and Pikasa to Aiken.

     Her disease began manifesting itself at that time and slowly worsened until Ron’s death in 2016.  She relocated to San Miguel, Mexico early in 2017, to live with her friend Carol Weicker until August 2018, when she returned to Aiken, and to her new home at Benton House of Aiken.

     Kass and Ron traveled widely, to Europe and especially to Southeast Asia.  She was a lively conversationalist, with a hilarious sense of humor, incredibly thoughtful and intelligent, and a gourmet cook who loved food adventures everywhere.  She was great fun, a fabulous friend, sister, aunt and traveling companion.

     Kass was predeceased by her husband Ron Tew, parents, Eugene M. and Eleanor J. Lockhart, and brother, James K. Lockhart.  She leaves behind her sister Martha Lockhart, nieces Holly Reneau (Jason), Jaime Anderly (Gus), Amy Hayowyk (John) and nephew Brian Lockhart (Pam),  12 great nieces and nephews, and many friends and former students.

     The family is grateful to the staff at Benton House of Aiken for their engagement with Kass and her vivacity early on, their kindness and care of her during her last six months.

     Due to the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, no service will be held.

SHELLHOUSE – RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC