William James Cocke

William James (Jim) Cocke, age 94, a resident of Albuquerque from 1945 to 2012, passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona. Jim was born in 1923 in Washington, DC, to Henry Teller Cocke, Jr. (Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland) and Maria Snowden Cocke. He attended St. Albans School, Virginia Military Institute, and Johns Hopkins University. Before graduating, he was drafted into the army and sent to Los Alamos during WWII. There he served with the 9812th Technical Service Unit. After the war, Jim was hired as a technical staff member at Sandia National Laboratory, a career that lasted for 40 plus years. During his first decade there, he completed the requirements to become a board certified professional engineer and earned a BS in Electrical Engineering at the UNM. He retired from the Army Reserve as a Colonel. At Sandia, Jim met Betty Margaret Wolf and they married February 27, 1949. They were married for 46 years (before Betty’s passing in 1995) and are survived by their three children and their spouses: William James Snowden (Joan Gale), David St. Pierre Snowden (Nancy) and Elizabeth Anne Sturm (Matthew.) Seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild also survive him. Five years after Betty’s passing, he met and married Inez R. Brown. They were married for 11 years before she passed away in 2011. Jim loved golf, sailing, stamps, bridge, trading stocks, and classical music. He was one of the original members of Four Hills Country Club and played golf every chance he could get until he was overcome by rheumatoid arthritis at age 85. He was a member of both the Rio Grande and the New Mexico Sailing Clubs. Jim was able to coax his boats to glide in the faintest of breezes and won many races on New Mexico lakes. He received a 50 year membership medal from the Am. Philatelic Society. Jim loved his family and was always there for his children, providing love, support, and pride not only of his children but his grandchildren as well.

Cremation has taken place. Jim and Betty will be interred at the Santa Fe Veteran’s Cemetery this summer. We would like to thank all the caretakers and staff who cared for Jim while he was at the Beatitudes in Phoenix. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Jim’s name to the American Red Cross or to a charity of your choice.