Jackie Cockrell was born on July 27th, 1945. He was the third of four children, with his two brothers Doyle and Kenneth, and sister, Jan. He had to grow up quickly, and began working full time to support his family at the age of 17. He was an incredibly hard-working man, spending his life roughnecking, truck driving, business owning. Whatever the job, day in and day out, he never complained, never wanted any recognition; he was just happy to know he was doing his best for his family.
At age 18 he married the love of his life, Sharon, and his love for her never wavered. Decades later he still swore that Sharon on their wedding day was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. They soon had a son, Keith, and then a daughter, Shana. Jackie was a dedicated, loving father, who wanted nothing more than to give his kids the world. No matter how long of a day he had, he was always happy to spend time with his kids or help them with their homework. He was something of a genius, and could always come up with the answer to the math problem even though he could never explain how he got it. The Cockrell home was a busy one, and Jackie loved nothing more then staying up late talking about life with his friends and family. He was generous man, and his door was always open to a friend in need.
His kids eventually grew up and had kids of their own, and so Jackie became Poppy. He often said “you have kids, and then you know what love is. But then you have grandkids, and then you really know”. Keely, Kylee, Matthew, Jillian, and Leah, he had five grandchildren in total and did everything he could to spoil them rotten. He would want me to remind you that even though he was born without a single family member that had been to college, all five of his grandkids did. Through the sacrifices he made and the example he set, we could never repay what he did for us, and he would never want us to anyways. Through good times and bad, he was the best Poppy in the world.
His cancer diagnosis came in early 2021, and knowing Jackie it was no surprise that he fought it to the end. His recovery from surgery, tolerance for chemotherapy, positivity, and sheer willpower defied the doctor’s expectations every step of the way. In his later years Jackie reaffirmed his commitment to his lord and savior Jesus Christ, with whom he now rests in eternal life.