Walter Wallace Cocking

Walter W. Cocking, 90, of Tree Lakes Resort, Palmetto, Florida, went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 16, 2025. Jesus was the defining strength of Walt’s life. Walt’s greatest desire was that his family and friends know Jesus personally. He plans on seeing everyone again in heaven.

***Walt’s Family: Walt is survived by the love of his life, Lois, who currently resides at Morningside House of Sarasota.

Walt & Lois have three children: the twins, Karen & Kent (68), and Tammera (Tammy 63).

~Karen and Jack Kouwe have one daughter, Jaime (43) who married Matt Jahr in 2004.

They have a daughter, Jacey (17).

~Kent and Samantha Cocking have two children: Keith (35) and Kelbe (33).

Keith married Kelly in 2012. They have four children: Willa (9), Wally (6), Wren (5), and Marjorie (2).

Kelbe married Kyle Goupil in 2014.

~Tammy married Michael Rogers in 1994.

***Walt’s Life: Walt was born on January 23, 1934, in Manchester, Iowa. The small-town farm boy graduated from Wheaton College in 1955 with a degree in education. After graduation, Walt served in the Army as a First Lieutenant and was stationed in Elmendorf Airforce Base in Anchorage, Alaska where he scrambled fighter planes anytime the Soviet Union threatened US airspace. After serving his country for two years Walt accepted a position teaching history in Barrington, Illinois. In 1964 Walt earned his Doctorate from Boston University and soon accepted a guidance counselor position at Niles West High School where he mentored students over the course of a 30-year career. In 1976 Walt and Lois purchased property on Big Spirit Lake in northwest Iowa. Walt, along with other family and friends, spent that summer building the lake cabin the became Walt & Lois’ summer home and eventually their retirement home. When Walt and Lois retired in 1991, they summered in Spirit Lake and RV’d until they found their winter retirement home at Tree Lakes Resort.

***Walt’s Perspective: Walt was a force in this world, and he was unafraid to live his life with great passion.

***Faith: Walt loved God. He was a Jesus-follower and a shining example of what the gospel is. Walt faithfully supported the churches he attended both financially and when he accepted the roles and responsibilities of teaching Sunday School and being a Deacon. And if you ever visited Walt at Tree Lakes in the morning, you would find Walt in his favorite chair, immersed in his daily devotions and praying for each and every individual on his prayer list.

***Family: Walt was a family-man. He loved his wife and kids. Weekends, vacations, and holidays were always spent visiting extended family. Favorite memories included: ~Family dinners, ~Vacationing in Spirit Lake (before the lake cabin was built) with his sister’s (Jean) family every summer. (Four adults and six children would cram into a tiny three-bedroom house for a week) where they would ski, tube, swim, laugh, play games, go out for lunch and dinner each day so the ladies would not have to cook and visit the nearby amusement park. ~60+ years of family Christmas celebrations that family purposefully prioritized to celebrate Christ’s birth together, and the five-plus hours of present opening wasn’t too shabby either! ~Always being no further than a day away anytime there was a crisis.

***Competition: Walt loved to compete, and he loved to win. Basketball was Walt’s game of choice. Prior to retirement Walt played 3-man half court most mornings and was known for his unorthodox half-hook shot that he invariably sank – even when playing against men half his age. Walt also officiated basketball games across the state of Illinois, blowing his whistle at almost 3,000 games including a girl’s state championship match. Walt was inducted in the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. The only downside to Tree Lakes was that it did not have a basketball court, so in retirement Walt had to shift his focus to other competitive endeavors including bean bag, bocce, bowling, golf, fleecing his friends at weekly card nights, and most recently darts – where he originated another unorthodox shot – throwing underhanded.

***Making A Difference: Walt was not satisfied by just living a full life, he wanted his life to make a difference in this world. With that goal in mind, Walt found ways to connect with people. He listened. He accepted. He mentored, and he walked with people on their life journeys. Walt saved many people’s lives–not only spiritually but emotionally and physically as well. It was also important to Walt that he made a difference in the communities where he resided. Walt served on the Tree Lakes Activities Board numerous times. In addition, he served as Tree’s Lakes Board President three times. In these roles he was known for listening to the different resident perspectives, considering the financial and long-term implications of the various options, and then thoughtfully and prayerfully communicating his point of view to the community. Highlights of his tenure include the construction of the bean bag and bocce courts, the resurfacing of the roads, and the founding of Tree Lakes annual Strawberry Festival.

Walt’s imperfections were not hidden yet he claimed his redemption with confidence that through Christ he was forgiven. During this time, Walt’s family continues to cling to the promise of 1 Thessalonians 4:13 & 18: that remind us that we do not mourn as those who have no hope for, we believe that Jesus died, rose again, and made the promise that we will see him again in heaven…Therefore, let us encourage one another with these words.

Memorial Services

Please join Walt’s family at his memorial service at 3pm on Sunday, January 26, 2025, in the Cypress Room at Tree Lakes Resort, 2215 73rd Street East, Palmetto, Florida 34221.

A second service will be held in Spirit Lake, Iowa sometime during the summer of 2025. The details of this service will be decided later.

Walt was passionate about the ideas and organizations he supported. So, in lieu of flowers, we ask that you please consider contributing the following organizations:

~Spirit Lake Protection Association

https://theslpa.org/

~Lift Eastbrook Afterschool

https://www.liftafterschool.org/