After a battle with cancer, longtime judge and volunteer lawyer Edward J. Rockett died on Jan. 6 at the age of 87. In his memory, some of his former coworkers reflected on his life and impact in the region as a public servant.
Rockett was born to Richard H. and C. Irene Rockett on Nov. 30, 1936. A third-generation Marbleheader, he attended Marblehead High School and Cushing Academy before studying at the University of Vermont and New England School of Law.
He began his career in public service as an assistant register of probate in the Essex County Probate and Family Court, where he worked for almost a decade. He was appointed a Massachusetts Probate and Family Court justice in 1981 and held that position for 25 years.
After retiring, his commitment to public service didn’t stop. Rockett regularly served as a volunteer lawyer for the day in Salem and Lynn district courts. Former First Justice of Lynn District Court Albert J. (Bert) Conlon said Rockett was “absolutely superb” in regard to sacrificing his time even after retirement.
“He was just selfless with his time,” Conlon said.
He also jokingly added that Rockett always “agreed with my decisions.”
Conlon also recalled Rockett becoming the second recipient of the Richard Adamo Award, given out by the Lynn Bar Association. The award is given to those outside of the typical practice of law whose “efforts really are so helpful to people practicing law and so helpful to the courts,” according to Conlon.
Outside of his career, Rockett loved his hometown and was an avid sports fan. He could often be seen playing tennis at the Corinthian Yacht Club and enjoyed boating with friends and family. Swimming in the ocean was another one of his favorite pastimes, and he would take daily dives into the water at Devereux Beach in the summer and at Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, Fla. during the winter.
Rockett also continued his volunteerism by helping couples add to their family through adoption, and by serving as an ombudsman for residents of local nursing homes through North Shore Elder Services.
Rockett was married to Joan Ellen (Bautze) Rockett for 53 years. The two loved traveling together and took special trips around the world to Austria and Asia, visiting their daughters living abroad. They made a trek to the Arctic Circle, climbed to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, visited the Great Wall of China, and snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, among other adventures.