Barry Locke
Barry Locke was born in 1930 to Arthur (Leo) Locke (born 1906) and Lillian (Mahler) Locke (born 1908), and had a single sibling: Alan (born 1936). After graduating from Boston University in 1953, Locke served two years in the United States Army as a public information officer. After the Army he spent five years as a newspaper editor in Michigan before returning to New England as United Press International's Vermont bureau chief.
Keith Locke
Locke was born and grew up in Christchurch, to Jack and Elsie Locke, prominent lifelong political activists for a wide variety of causes. Their four children were brought up in this environment and followed their parents into a life of activism, (as well as Keith, his sister Maire Leadbeater is a well-known activist and former city councillor for Auckland City Council). His father Jack was under surveillance during the 1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute.
Former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon is said to have described the Lockes as the most "notorious Communist family in New Zealand". The Lockes lived in the Avon Loop area of the Christchurch Central City and were very active in the community notably organising Avon River clean-ups and native tree planting and arguing against development of the area, and in favour of retaining the character of the area.