Martha Austin Cockrell Gafford

Martha Austin Cockrell Gafford joined her Heavenly Father on July 17, 2019 surrounded by her family at her home in La Jolla, California.

Martha Jane Austin was born on October 6, 1924 at her paternal grandparents’ home in Fort Worth, Texas.  Her parents, Katie Foy Austin and Frank Wylie Austin, were pioneers of Callahan County, Texas.  She and her parents lived for three years in that home with her grandparents as well as an aunt and uncle. When Martha Jane’s father changed jobs, the young family moved to the Arlington Heights area of Fort Worth and finally had a house of their own.  Around the age of eleven, Martha began taking the trolley to downtown Fort Worth for violin lessons, which sparked her appreciation for classical music.

Martha attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth.  During those years she would take the train from Fort Worth to Dallas to visit her favorite uncle, Raymond Foy, who was head of sales at the Dallas Morning News.  Her uncle had graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas with a degree in journalism, and he served on the Board of Trustees for the school.

Martha graduated with honors from Arlington Heights High School where she worked on the school newspaper and her favorite subject was dramatic arts.  At the age of 16, influenced by her favorite uncle, she entered Hardin-Simmons University where she was a member of the Cowgirl spirit organization and rode one of the famous HSU Six White Horses.  As in high school, Martha loved dramatics class at Hardin-Simmons.  In that class she met future actor, Fess Parker, where they became friends. 

During this time, Martha’s parents moved to Abilene.  She lived with her parents and worked in a local dress shop while attending Hardin-Simmons.  Martha and her mother would also attend concerts at HSU through which Martha’s appreciation for classical music continued to grow.

Martha lived for many years in Abilene.  She was a busy mother to her four children and was very involved in their school activities.  She was an active member of the First Central Presbyterian Church and of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra Guild.

After her husband Robert B. Cockrell’s death in 1979, Martha met George N. Gafford of La Jolla, California through family friends.  She married the retired lawyer and law school professor and moved to California to begin the next chapter in her life.  In La Jolla, Martha continued her love of the arts through volunteer work and philanthropy.  She served on the boards of the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Old Globe Theatre.  She and George were founding members of the Mainly Mozart Festival, also in San Diego.  Other favorites of Martha’s were the San Diego Humane Society, and the Stuart Collection at the University of California San Diego.  Martha established a scholarship for education majors at Hardin-Simmons University in honor of her mother, Katie Foy Austin, a career schoolteacher and educator.

In addition to Martha’s parents, she was preceded in death by Robert B. Cockrell, George N. Gafford, and her son, Frank Austin Cockrell.  Martha is survived by her sister, Carol Austin Newberry of Abilene, Texas; son, Gerald (Gerry) Cockrell, and wife, Patti Jones, of Abilene, Texas; daughter, Jana Cockrell Bartlit, and husband, Fred, of Castle Rock, Colorado; and daughter, Kathryn (Casey) Cockrell Bolinger, and  husband, Tim, of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Martha enjoyed her role as “Nana” to her grandchildren and great grandchildren.   She is survived by grandchildren Leigh Cockrell Hermes (Randy), David Cockrell (Staci), Kristin Cockrell Daniel (Chad), Jay Cockrell (Shea), and Katie Dowling-Marcus (Ben), and by great- grandchildren Christian Cockrell, Rowan Cockrell, Garrison Cockrell, Carter Cockrell, Flynn Marcus, and Eliza Marcus.

She is also survived by the family of her sister, Carol, and by numerous Austin, Foy, and Snyder relatives.

On Saturday, August 3, 2019 a private burial service will be held at Ross Cemetery in Baird, Texas.  A memorial service for Martha will be held at 11:00 AM on that day at The Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel at 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene, Texas.

 The family requests that gifts in memory of Martha be made to Katie Foy Austin & Martha Austin Gafford Scholarship for Teachers, ATTN: Mike Hammack, Hardin-Simmons University, PO Box 16100, Abilene, Texas 79698.