Jerry D"Doc" Cockrell

Stevensville  -  Dr. Jerry Cockrell passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at his home in Stevensville, MT. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Jim Davis Cockrell and Phyllis Fondren Cockrell and is survived by his sister, Scarlett Cockrell Crews [Walter], nephew Sammy Crews [Marcy], two great nephews and two great nieces. He was a graduate of Provine High School [‘61] and the University of Mississippi where he achieved a M.Ed and Ph.D in Counseling and Educational Psychology. Jerry served our country in the Air Force and was a Viet Nam veteran. He was a psychologist, aviator, humorist and in-demand speaker. His ‘down-home’ style and hilarious anecdotes have charmed, educated and entertained audiences around the world. He was a former Boeing 737 Captain, has over 20,000 flying hours including flying a Boeing 747-400 on international routes for an FAR 121 carrier. Beginning his work in 1977, he was one of the earliest developers of Crew Resource Management programs. Since that time, he has conducted more than 200 Crew Resource Management and Check Airman Safety Seminars for such air carriers as: United Parcel Service, Alaska Airlines, Air B.C., Air Ontario, Frontier Airlines, Overseas National Airlines, Mark Air, Reeves Aleutian Airways and Henson Airlines. Jerry has worked with corporate, government and aviation groups including Mobil Oil, Arco, all branches of the military, the US Coast Guard and the FBI. He had the honor of being one of the first speakers to make aviation safety presentations in all 50 states and internationally in England, Germany, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Mexico, Canada and Australia delivering over 3,000 safety and humorous presentations. He was inducted into the FAA Flight Instructor Hall of Fame in 2016 and received numerous other awards for his expertise and contributions to air safety. Jerry will be laid to rest amidst the beautiful mountain scenery he loved in Stevensville and near the friends he cherished, who called him “Doc”. The family extends their gratitude to everyone who has given such wonderful support during this time. Our deepest thanks to Tony Nagendran, Jerry’s longtime friend, whose kindness and willingness to help us through this journey will forever be so appreciated.  A graveside service with Military Honors will be held on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. at the Sunnyside cemetery in Stevensville.

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