[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 18932]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING DONALD M. DOCKERY III

 Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, my dear friend, and neighbor for 
many years, Donald M. Dockery III, died on September 7. As a World War 
II veteran, he was pleased that he lived to watch on television the 
dedication of the memorial on the Mall here in Washington honoring 
those who served in that great conflict.
  He served in Europe as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After the 
war, he remained in the Reserves and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 
the U.S. Air Force.
  Donald Dockery was a special friend. He and his family were our 
closest neighbors when I was growing up in the Byram community, 7 miles 
south of Jackson, MS. His wife, Stella, and their children, Donna, Kay, 
and Billy were also very close friends of mine, and my family.
  Donald's death was like having a death in our own family. He and 
Stella watched after me as I grew up in the neighborhood. Donald was 
the personification of a good citizen, the kind who enriches our 
country with a strong spirit of community.
  He was active in the boosters club at our school, helping children 
who needed money for lunch room tickets or a band uniform. He was a 
very successful businessman. He owned a store and was in the pulp wood 
and cattle business. He also got into the bottled water business; and, 
with his father-in-law and his son, he developed their company into a 
very impressive enterprise.
  When my father's health began declining several years ago, Donald 
would visit him every day. Their friendship was steadfast and enduring 
for over 50 years.
  It is impossible to measure the influence another person can have on 
one's life, but I am sure Donald Dockery helped shape my views of the 
role a good citizen should play in his community and the importance of 
being a loyal and caring friend.
  My family and I will miss him very much.

                          ____________________