By Staff
JOHN D. SIBLEY
Retired attorney
GULFPORT John Dale Sibley, 71, retired attorney of Diamondhead, Mississippi, died on Monday, July 2, 2001, at his home. He was born on December 30, 1929, in Pachuta, Mississippi to Jesse Dale and Hazel Nicholson Sibley. Mr. Sibley practiced law in Okolona, Mississippi for nearly 40 years and had been admitted to all levels of courts, including the United States Supreme Court.
He served Okolona as city attorney for eight years and as city judge for 10 years. He also served on the Mississippi Bar Association as a tribunal under appointment of the Mississippi Supreme Court and as an attorney for the State of Mississippi Senate and as chancery judge for a time under appointment of the Governor of Mississippi. He served both the Third Judicial Bar Association and the Chickasaw County Bar Association as president. He also was a colonel on the staff of two Mississippi governors.
In Okolona, Mr. Sibley was a member of the First Baptist Church, a Mason and a Shriner, a member of the Okolona School Board and the president of the Okolona Country Club.
Mr. Sibley served in the U.S. Army as an officer and a paratrooper during the Korean War. Proud to be a member of the American Legion, he served the Okolona Post as commander and was chosen for the 40 et 8.
After retiring from active legal practice, Mr. and Mrs. Sibley moved to Diamondhead. There he was a member of the Diamondhead Community Church, which he served as an elder. He served a term as a director of the Property Owners Association Board and continued to do much pro-bono legal work.
Enjoying retirement to the fullest, he often played golf and belonged to the Diamondhead Men's Golf Association, the Mississippi Seniors Golf Association as well as the Gulf Coast Golf Association. He also belonged to several social groups, one of which, the Krewe of Diamondhead, he served as the 1999 King with his wife as his queen.
On January 29, 1955, Mr. Sibley married Sandra Saunders Sibley in Meridian, Mississippi. He is also survived by two daughters, Jessica Sibley Upshaw and Faye Carole Cleveland, both of the Mississippi Gulf Coast; one son, John Dale Sibley Jr., of El Paso, Texas; two sisters, Catherine Jean Ryan of Albuquerque, N.M. and Carole Sibley of Highland Beach, Fla.; four grandchildren, Rachel Sibley, Lauren Upshaw and Katherine and William Cleveland.
There will be a visitation on Thursday at the Gulfport Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Homes where friends may call from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. There will be an 11 a.m. procession to Biloxi National Cemetery for an 11:30 a.m. graveside service. A memorial service will follow at 3 p.m. at the Diamondhead Community Church.
The family prefers memorials to the Salvation Army, Diamondhead Community Church, 5301 Diamondhead Circle, Diamondhead, Miss. 39525 or the church or charity of one's choice.
TERRY WAYNE COOLEY
Meridian Machine Works
Services for Terry Wayne Cooley will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Scott Culpepper and Randall Watson officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Cooley, 49, of Meridian, died Saturday, June 30, 2001, at his home. He worked at Meridian Machine Works for 14 years.
Survivors include his wife, Debbie Ann Cooley of Meridian; children, Sara Amanda Cooley Cochran of Meridian and Keri Ann Cooley of Texas; three step-children, James Jackson, DeWayne Jackson and Dana Jackson; five grandchildren; three nieces; two nephews; a brother, Danny Paul Cooley; two sisters, Sandra Kay Whitt and Peggy Ann Jones; a sister-in-law, Tammy Ridinger and a brother-in-law, Eugene Jones.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lonnie and Loretta Cooley.
Pallbearers will be Sean Jones, Tim Ervin, Clarence Davis, James "Bubb" Jackson, J.R. Hambrick and Tony Hambrick.
Visitation will be Thursday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
ROBERT F. BOCKELMAN
Retired salesman
PHILADELPHIA Memorial services for Robert F. "Bob" Bockelman will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. McClain-Hays Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bockelman, 78, of Philadelphia, died Tuesday, July 3, 2001, at Neshoba County General Hospital. He was born in Babylon, N.Y. and lived in Memphis, Tenn. and Nashville, Tenn. for several years. He had been a resident of Philadelphia since 1983. He was a retired salesman and a member of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church.
Survivors include his friend, Sam Thomas of Philadelphia; Sam's family; church family and several cousins.
The family requests memorials be made to St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church.
LIZZIE CAPLES
DeKALB Arrangements were incomplete at E.E. McDonald Funeral Home for Lizzie Caples, 104, formerly of Neshoba County, who died Monday, July 2, 2001, at Beverly Health Care Broadmoor in Meridian.
ANNIE BERNICE PRUETT WRIGHT
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Annie Bernice Pruett Wright, 57, of Bailey, who died Tuesday, July 3, 2001, at her home.