Hundreds of Clintonians paid their last respects to Donnie Wheeler Lockard Friday evening. Lockard was the face of Clinton High School basketball for 29 years — 1971 - 2000 — and retired with 642 career wins. But it wasn’t the victories people recalled with somber voices and pride. It was the man. It was his influence on them as student athletes and as citizens in the community. Following his visitation and funeral service Friday, the procession to Sunset Cemetery in Clinton took a route that allowed “Coach” one last victory lap: A pass by Clinton High School’s gymnasium: Don Lockard Gymnasium — the coach’s domain. Alvin Taylor, friend and fellow coach at CHS with Lockard, posted on his Facbook page: “What a great job David Seivers, Tracy Wandell, and Jay Prater did yesterday speaking at Coach Donnie Lockard’s funeral. It is especially difficult to speak to a crowd with grief and sadness weighing on one’s heart, but they did an excellent job of telling stories of their CHS days and their relationships with someone so special to them. Outstanding service.”
