By Mark Carpenter-

2020 has been a rough year, no doubt about that. In the past couple of weeks, it has been especially rough on the community of Manchester. The Manchester school system, and athletic department, has lost two of its biggest supporters with the passing of Fred Edgington and most recently, the unexpected loss of A.G. Lockhart. I considered both men to be friends and supporters of my work, which instantly makes them important to me.
I don’t recall when I first met A.G., but it was likely in the gym where he was either on the microphone introducing the starting lineups or in the crow’s nest playing statistical wizard with Terry Himes. We shared windows up there quite often, me with my camera on one end, and A.G. and Terry with their IPad and game “commentary” at the other window. Though my memory seems to fade as the years pass, I am sure that A.G. and I shared much of that “commentary’ as his son Aaron and the Greyhounds took me on my first big tournament run in this job, and I’m sure that at this moment A.G. is giving a heavenly sermon on just how obvious it was that the Harvest Prep player stepped out of bounds.
I’ve read a number of the social media posts from the Lockhart family and it soon dawned on me why A.G. and I hit it off so well- we literally had the same childhoods, just a few years apart. Wiffle ball games all day wherever a field could be found collecting baseball cards, listening to major league baseball on the radio, sharing those memories with a brother- folks, that is how a boy should grow up. You can have today’s video game culture any time, give me what A.G. and I had any day.
Until I visited one of the Memorial Day services at MHS, I didn’t realize that A.G. was a veteran too, much to his mother’s chagrin as I read recently. Now I would picture A.G. as the Marine jokester, more of a Gomer Pyle type, keeping all of his platoon on their toes with his wit and humor, but knowing when serious had to be serious. For that, I thank you for your service Mr. Lockhart.
I could always count on A.G. to make a comment to me, usually with some humor involved, on my most recent column in the paper. I usually responded the same way, “Well, at least two people are reading it- you and my mother.” Now they are both gone and I wonder who will read me now. That’s one of the things that always struck me about A.G., it was always a smile or laugh, and there were often times I needed that. Add that to the fact that he was a UK fan and had his picture taken with Coach Cal and that sealed the deal with me.
A.G. and I shared a lot of conversations, naturally 99% about sports. I know we talked about how worried we were when his son-in-law took the head coaching job at West Union, but Austin has definitely proved us both wrong. I’m sure we had some sharp criticism for players and coaches along the way, stuff I could never write but felt comfortable going back and forth with A.G. about.
Of everything, though, my most lasting memory of A.G. Lockhart came from the golf course. I don’t recall what event I was going there to cover but I messaged A.G. early that morning and asked if he could reserve a cart for me, my legs just don’t walk 18 any more. When I arrived at the course, it took me just seconds to see that A.G. had taken care of my request- a cart sitting over to the side with a sign taped to the front that read, “Future Pulitzer Winner Cart.” Well, I don’t think that will ever happen but if it did, A.G. would be the first person I‘d thank in my acceptance speech.
I can only imagine that when Albert Gallatin Lockhart walked through those pearly gates last week, the first thing that St. Peter did was hand him a golden microphone and say, “You’re introducing some really big stars now.” I thank you A.G. for the friendship that you gave me and the Sun Deck in Manchester will never quite be the same without you. I’ve been blessed to know you.