Rod was born on August 12, 1938, in Austin, Texas, to Joseph Leander Cockrell and Dwyce Maedale Cameron- Cockrell. He attended Austin High School before leaving to serve in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked as an airplane mechanic in Roswell, New Mexico. He married the love of his life, Jean Ingram, and together they raised three children: Rodney (Scott) Jr., Janet, and Tesse. Rod and Jean were longtime members of St. James Lutheran Church in Llano, Texas.

Rod is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jean; his son Scott; his daughter Janet and her husband, Dave Kleinman; his daughter Tesse and her husband, Jim Smitherman; his grandchildren; Cassandra, Rodney (Scott) III, and Taylor Cockrell, Travis Taylor and his wife, Lisa, and Marshall Taylor and James and Joseph Smitherman. He is also survived by ten great-grandchildren.

Rod built a long and respected career in the cash register repair business. After retiring, he followed his passion for automobiles, working in paint and body repair. His greatest enthusiasm was for restoring 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevrolets. He became an expert in building and restoring these classic cars and loved attending car shows and racing events. He shared that passion generously, bringing his children—and later his grandchildren—along for the ride whenever he could.

Rod also had a deep love for high school football. He volunteered for many years running the chains on the sidelines, and when he could no longer do that, he faithfully attended games as a proud supporter. He was an enthusiastic fan of the Llano Yellow Jackets and an even bigger fan of his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events.

Memorial service details will be announced at a later date.