Earl Grafton Cockerell

Dr. Earl Grafton (E.G.) Cockerell, age 73, died Thursday, September 21at his home. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Reverend Scott Andrews, of Indio, California, will officiate. Entombment will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park, under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. There will be a visitation at the Funeral Home on Monday from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. E.G. was born the son of Earl Rush Cockerell and Allene (Grafton) Cockerell on May 31, 1933, in St. Louis, Missouri. The family moved to Abilene three months after E.G.'s birth. He attended Abilene High School and was a member of the National Honor Society, of which he was president his senior year. He played on the golf team, and in 1950, played in the first high school golf championship in Texas where his team finished second by one stroke. E.G. was the City Junior Golf Champion in 1949 and 1950. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1950 and attended SMU from 1950 to 1953. He married Janell Jefferies on June 8, 1953, and the couple enjoyed more than 53 years of happy marriage. While at SMU, he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Delta Phi Alpha honorary German fraternity. He entered Baylor University College of Medicine in the fall of 1953. He was a member of Phi Chi Medical fraternity. In 1957, he graduated from Baylor in the top one-third of his class. At that time, he also received a B.S. degree from SMU. He served a general rotating internship from June 1957 to June 1958. In 1958 he began training in Dermatology in the Baylor Affiliated Residency program in Houston, Texas. In 1961, he finished his Dermatology training and also completed an MS degree in Dermatology. The research he conducted was some of the earliest work done on sunscreens which are in wide use today. He returned to Abilene where he joined his father, Earl Rush Cockerell, M.D. in practice until Dr. E.R. retired in 1995. They were the first dermatologists in this area and were the only ones between Fort Worth and Amarillo for many years. They cared for thousands of patients and were responsible for treating many skin diseases and skin cancers, saving many lives as well. E.G. has been president of the West Texas Region of Sports Car Club of America, the American Medical Golf Association, the Masters Dermatologic Association, and the Taylor County Division of the American Cancer Society. He was a fellow of the American Academy and the Texas Dermatology Society. He was an avid golfer, hunter, physical fitness devotee and in his younger days, a skier. He retired from the profession of Dermatology June 1, 2001, after 40 years of practice. He was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, former President of the New Medic Investment Club and a former member of the XXV Club. Dr. Cockerell was a member of Saint Paul United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents and his best friend, John Wooten. Survivors include: his wife of 53 years, Janell Cockerell; four sons, Dr. Clay Cockerell and wife Brenda of Dallas, Jay Cockerell and wife Sondra of Plano, Ray Cockerell and wife Karen of Abilene, and Tray Cockerell and wife Susan of Louisville, Kentucky; nine grandchildren, Quintan, McKinsey, Charlie, Caroline, Spencer, Kailey, Daulton, Kelsey, and Lily; and his beloved miniature dachshund, Freckles. Bob Moyers, Pete Cook, LeVene Hughes, Phil Gragiola, Raymond McDaniel, Dr. Bud Ramsey, Dale Cartee, Dr. Bill Gollihar, Dr. W.R. "Dub" Sibley, and Dr. Robert E. Wiggins will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the Taylor Jones County Medical Society. Memorials may be made in honor of E.G. Cockerell to the American Cancer Society, 209 South Danville, Building B, Suite 107, Abilene, Texas 79605; West Texas Rehab Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, Texas 79605; or the Humane Society, 3811 North 1st Street, Abilene, Texas 79603. "To all my friends: My family and I want to thank you for all your prayers and concerns over the last weeks and months. I know God has a plan for me and we're not meant to know what it is on earth. So, love and good bye." E.G.