Phil Locke may have retired from education, but it hasn't retired from him. A professor emeritus of Mathematics at the University of Maine, Phil now teaches spoken and written English through Literacy Volunteers of Bangor. In seven years he has worked one-on-one with more than 20 adults, primarily non-English speakers, helping them with critical skills for success.
Over the past five years Phil coached Hoang Lam, a young Vietnamese man. Hoang spoke minimal English at their start; through Phil's devoted mentorship and tutoring, he made tremendous strides, and graduated this past year from the University of Maine with a BS in Electrical Engineering.
Phil is a man of action. He is an active member of the Orono Bog Boardwalk maintenance team and the Maine Amphibian Project, collecting critical information about vernal pools and the health of the environment. He is a fiddler and caller with the Marsh Island Contra Dance Band. He has been a volunteer for Eastern Agency on Aging and Keep Maine Warm. His wife Helen also enjoys working on many of these endeavors, by his side.