Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
6:00 pm Wednesday, July 4, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2001

By Staff
JOHN D. SIBLEY
Retired attorney
GULFPORT John Dale Sibley, 71, retired attorney of Diamondhead, Mississippi, died on Monday, July 2, 2001, at his home. He was born on December 30, 1929, in Pachuta, Mississippi to Jesse Dale and Hazel Nicholson Sibley. Mr. Sibley practiced law in Okolona, Mississippi for nearly 40 years and had been admitted to all levels of courts, including the United States Supreme Court.
He served Okolona as city attorney for eight years and as city judge for 10 years. He also served on the Mississippi Bar Association as a tribunal under appointment of the Mississippi Supreme Court and as an attorney for the State of Mississippi Senate and as chancery judge for a time under appointment of the Governor of Mississippi. He served both the Third Judicial Bar Association and the Chickasaw County Bar Association as president. He also was a colonel on the staff of two Mississippi governors.
In Okolona, Mr. Sibley was a member of the First Baptist Church, a Mason and a Shriner, a member of the Okolona School Board and the president of the Okolona Country Club.
Mr. Sibley served in the U.S. Army as an officer and a paratrooper during the Korean War. Proud to be a member of the American Legion, he served the Okolona Post as commander and was chosen for the 40 et 8.
After retiring from active legal practice, Mr. and Mrs. Sibley moved to Diamondhead. There he was a member of the Diamondhead Community Church, which he served as an elder. He served a term as a director of the Property Owners Association Board and continued to do much pro-bono legal work.
Enjoying retirement to the fullest, he often played golf and belonged to the Diamondhead Men's Golf Association, the Mississippi Seniors Golf Association as well as the Gulf Coast Golf Association. He also belonged to several social groups, one of which, the Krewe of Diamondhead, he served as the 1999 King with his wife as his queen.
On January 29, 1955, Mr. Sibley married Sandra Saunders Sibley in Meridian, Mississippi. He is also survived by two daughters, Jessica Sibley Upshaw and Faye Carole Cleveland, both of the Mississippi Gulf Coast; one son, John Dale Sibley Jr., of El Paso, Texas; two sisters, Catherine Jean Ryan of Albuquerque, N.M. and Carole Sibley of Highland Beach, Fla.; four grandchildren, Rachel Sibley, Lauren Upshaw and Katherine and William Cleveland.
There will be a visitation on Thursday at the Gulfport Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Homes where friends may call from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. There will be an 11 a.m. procession to Biloxi National Cemetery for an 11:30 a.m. graveside service. A memorial service will follow at 3 p.m. at the Diamondhead Community Church.
The family prefers memorials to the Salvation Army, Diamondhead Community Church, 5301 Diamondhead Circle, Diamondhead, Miss. 39525 or the church or charity of one's choice.
TERRY WAYNE COOLEY
Meridian Machine Works
Services for Terry Wayne Cooley will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Scott Culpepper and Randall Watson officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Cooley, 49, of Meridian, died Saturday, June 30, 2001, at his home. He worked at Meridian Machine Works for 14 years.
Survivors include his wife, Debbie Ann Cooley of Meridian; children, Sara Amanda Cooley Cochran of Meridian and Keri Ann Cooley of Texas; three step-children, James Jackson, DeWayne Jackson and Dana Jackson; five grandchildren; three nieces; two nephews; a brother, Danny Paul Cooley; two sisters, Sandra Kay Whitt and Peggy Ann Jones; a sister-in-law, Tammy Ridinger and a brother-in-law, Eugene Jones.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lonnie and Loretta Cooley.
Pallbearers will be Sean Jones, Tim Ervin, Clarence Davis, James "Bubb" Jackson, J.R. Hambrick and Tony Hambrick.
Visitation will be Thursday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
ROBERT F. BOCKELMAN
Retired salesman
PHILADELPHIA Memorial services for Robert F. "Bob" Bockelman will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. McClain-Hays Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bockelman, 78, of Philadelphia, died Tuesday, July 3, 2001, at Neshoba County General Hospital. He was born in Babylon, N.Y. and lived in Memphis, Tenn. and Nashville, Tenn. for several years. He had been a resident of Philadelphia since 1983. He was a retired salesman and a member of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church.
Survivors include his friend, Sam Thomas of Philadelphia; Sam's family; church family and several cousins.
The family requests memorials be made to St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church.
LIZZIE CAPLES
DeKALB Arrangements were incomplete at E.E. McDonald Funeral Home for Lizzie Caples, 104, formerly of Neshoba County, who died Monday, July 2, 2001, at Beverly Health Care Broadmoor in Meridian.
ANNIE BERNICE PRUETT WRIGHT
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Annie Bernice Pruett Wright, 57, of Bailey, who died Tuesday, July 3, 2001, at her home.

Also on Franklin County Times
Gray named president of Red Bay, Helen Keller hospitals
Main, News, Red Bay
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
SHEFFIELD — Red Bay hospital will soon be under new leadership as Jeremy Gray, who has been hired as the new president of the Franklin County facility...
5 properties are designated nuisance
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Five properties within the city have been designated public nuisances, and city workers soon will begin tearing down a burnedout partia...
Condemned downtown building to be demolished, replaced
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The condemned building that used to house the Faith Mission Outreach will be demolished and a new structure rebuilt in its place. In an...
Jones says he’ll listen to Alabamians
Main, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
SHEFFIELD — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones shared a vision July 9 of an Alabama government who listens to its constituents and focuses ...
Stage being renovated for W.C. Handy Fest
News
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
SHEFFIELD — Stage renovations at Riverfront Park face a fast-approaching completion deadline prior to the W.C. Handy Music Festival. With “Riverside J...
A $174M penalty families can’t afford
Columnists, News, Opinion
July 15, 2026
Recently, the federal government published “scores” that will determine how much each state will have to pay toward its SNAP program starting in 2027....
Friendships more precious as years pass
Columnists, Features, Lifestyles, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 15, 2026
Friends are wonderful gifts. Throughout different stages of life, friends serve as anchors, confidants and sources of strength. While many people come...
Sparks is youngest miracle worker yet
News
By Addi Broadfoots For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
For 65 years, audiences have watched the story of Helen Keller come to life on the outdoor stage behind Ivy Green in Tuscumbia. This summer, that trad...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *