Penny Bass Locke — devoted mother, grandmother, and lifelong schoolteacher — passed away on July 19, 2026, in Melbourne, Florida, at the age of 80.

Penny was born on May 29, 1946, in Opp, Alabama, the daughter of Fletcher Eugene Bass and Mary Johnson Bass. She grew up in Opp, a close-knit railroad town in the Wiregrass region of south Alabama, and graduated from Opp High School with the Class of 1964.

From Opp she went on to Troy University — then known as Troy State, an institution long celebrated for training many of Alabama's finest teachers — where she earned her bachelor's degree. Education became her life's calling. She began her career teaching in Eufaula, Alabama, then spent many years in the classrooms of Okaloosa County, Florida, while making her home in Fort Walton Beach. She later returned to school to earn her master's degree, and in the 1980s began a new chapter as a school guidance counselor — a role she served in for the remainder of her career, first in Okaloosa County and finally in Brevard County, Florida, where she made her home along the Space Coast for the rest of her life.

Penny shared her life with her husband, William Alvin Locke, who preceded her in death on February 4, 2026. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Fletcher and Mary Bass, and her sister, Mary (Bass) Donaldson.

She is survived by her sons, Michael Bass Locke of West Melbourne, Florida, and William David Locke III of Melbourne, Florida; her grandchildren, Wilder Locke, Rowen Locke, and William David Locke IV; and her brother, Paul Bass of Newnan, Georgia.

At Penny's request, no formal service will be held.

Those who knew Penny will remember her warmth, her steadfast devotion to her family, and the quiet, lasting influence of a teacher who spent her life helping others learn.