PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Franklin County Commissioner Noah Lockley died at his Apalachicola home Tuesday afternoon.
Lockley served as a County Commissioner for 2 decades. His colleagues say he was very outspoken and always stood up for the little man.
Lockley was also a strong supporter of Weems Memorial Hospital. After the one-cent health care tax was approved nationwide, he began planning to expand the facility.
The 72-year-old commissioner was battling cancer. His health drastically declined in early June, and he was given a terminal diagnosis last month. Commissioner Ricky Jones says Lockley’s replacement has very big shoes to fill.
“He was always straightforward. We’re going to miss him,” said Jones. “I don’t know that we’ll ever replace him, even though somebody else will definitely fill that seat, either by gubernatorial appointment or by the election next November. But he was special.”
Lockley’s current term expires next year. It’s unclear if Governor Ron Desantis will appoint a replacement before the August 24th primary election.
