JUDITH COCKERHAM
1956-2015
Judith Marie Cockerham, native of Baton Rouge and 20-year resident of Houston, passed quietly at MD Anderson Cancer Center surrounded by family on September 2, 2015 at age 59. Judith “Judy” is preceded in death by her father Robert “Bob” Cockerham and is survived by her husband John Weigle, son Carlos Rosario and wife Pam, daughter Jessica Rosario, her mother Reda Cockerham, and brothers Tony Cockerham and wife Jeannine, Larry Cockerham and wife Theresa, and grandchildren Joshua, Taylor, Julia, Livia, Kane, and Ryanne ranging in age from 17 years to 18 months. She graduated from Redemptorist High School in 1974 and completed 2 years of college at American International University. Judith is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served as a clerk in the 35th Signal Brigade stationed at Darmstadt Army Base near Frankfurt Germany in the mid-1970s. Judith’s career in the mortgage industry spanned 35 years in positions ranging from Processor to Vice President. She was coowner of Professional Mortgage Services (PMS) in Baton Rouge from 1989 to 1995. After moving to Houston in 1996 she worked as a Loan Officer in the Galleria office of Chase, in the Mortgage Division of the Private Bank at JP Morgan, and latest as Senior Lending Officer at Houston Capital Mortgage. For Judith, family came first. She loved cooking and wine and gathering with family and friends. She enjoyed traveling and looked forward to yearly summer vacations with her children and grandchildren. She collected antiques from the art deco period and enjoyed decorating. Judith will be remembered as loving, generous, courageous, uncompromising, and as a mentor willing to help those who were willing to help themselves.
Visitation will be at Green Oaks Funeral Home in Baton Rouge from 5 to 9 PM on Friday, 9/11 followed by a reception at 9 AM and Mass at 11 AM at St. Alphonsus Ligouri in Greenwell Springs on Saturday, 9/12.
Though never a smoker and otherwise healthy, Judith succumbed to lung cancer discovered as the result of a sudden, persistent cough only one month before her death. Her family exhorts everyone to consult their physician and include a chest X-ray in their health and wellness regimen.