Darrell Cockrell

Dallas, TX

Address information may be obtained by emailing your request to the webmaster

It’s a little difficult to summarize a lifetime on a page of paper, but I’ll try.  I graduated from Texas Tech with a BS degree in Mathematics and a minor in Physics.  I went on to graduate school and majored in Physics.  I did a stint in the US Navy and worked as an accountant for the State of Texas for 4 years during my college days. I won a National Science Foundation grant to study the early computers in 1960 and studied the UNIVAC system at Texas A&M.  I was employed by NCR Corporation as a computer programmer and worked for them for 27 years until they were purchased by AT&T.  I worked for AT&T for two years and retired early.  I figured 30 years was enough. 

Then I took a position as Chief Operations Officer for large wholesaler that dealt with decorating supplies, ribbons, etc.   After that, I sold computer software for a couple of years and retired again.  I couldn’t stand the boredom and formed a management company to manage a skeet and trap range in Dallas, and after 9 years I retired again last October.

I married a girl from Odessa, Texas, and we have three children - two boys and a girl.  One son is married, and he and his wife just had twin daughters.  The other two are still looking.  Both boys followed me at Texas Tech, and my daughter went to The University of North Texas.  I was married for 21 years and divorced in 1985.  All of my immediate family lives and works in Dallas.

For my 9^th birthday, I got three presents; a chemistry set, a trumpet, and a shotgun.  I have stayed close to all three for a lifetime.  My hobby is shooting the clay target sports.  I have taught the games of skeet and trap to thousands of students in the last 30 years.  I still play the trumpet every day and will be playing in the 4^th of July concert.  I played in the Town North Orchestra for a time but work was more important.

That is about all there is to know about me except that I live in Dallas and suffer from the empty nest syndrome every day.