John A Kocks

A vigil service and visitation will be held from 6 to 8 pm on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Hampton Vaughan Funeral Home in Wichita Falls. A Funeral Mass will be at 10 am, on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Hampton Vaughan Crestview Cemetery in Wichita Falls. Arrangements are under the direction of Hampton Vaughan Funeral Home in Wichita Falls.

Kocks was born April 5, 1932, to the late John Alois Kocks and Magdelena “Lena” Morbitzer Kocks in their home off of Iowa Park Road on Covington Lane in Wichita Falls. John grew up on a 40-acre farm with his parents and his seven other siblings. They worked together to farm and raise animals to feed their family during the Great Depression.

John was a hard worker from an early age. He started working when he was 10 years old while he was still in school in Fannin Elementary. He sold papers at Sheppard Air Force Base for a nickel and carried golf bags at the Country Club for $.50 to $.75 for 18-holes. During his young years, he worked on a summer harvest for the Berend Brothers and spent a year working at the Barq’s Bottling Company. In addition to Fannin, he also attended school at Huey and the first Catholic school in Wichita Falls, the Academy of Mary Immaculate, which was across the street from his home parish, Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

As he grew up, he worked as a dishwasher and fry cook at Short’s Pig Stand, a restaurant on Lincoln and Old Burk Road. After that, John worked at Casion pulling in the oil fields. He also worked for Panhandle Steel as a welder for a few years, and then at Burcamp Steel, first as a welder and later as a crew boss. When he was 19, he joined the Texas National Guard with his friend and future brother-in-law, Jackie Humphrey. John served for five years, and his last rank was sergeant.

John married Linnie Humphrey on Dec. 18, 1951. They had three children.

After many years of working for others, John started his first business, Kocks Fina Station, at Seventh Street and Eastside Drive. He co-owned it with his brother Melvin Kocks first and later with his father, John Alois Kocks. Five years later, he built a Texaco Station at 114 Eastside Drive at Second Street with two car washes and a truck wash. John later turned one of the car washes into a convenience store. His wife Linnie helped with his businesses and so did their children, Victor, John, and Mary, when they were old enough.

In 1978, John started Kocks Liquor with his son, John David, at the same location as their former convenience store, 114 Eastside Drive. Later, Victor partnered with them, and Linnie worked there as well. All four worked together until John retired in 1995 and turned over full ownership to both sons. His wife Linnie continued to work with their two sons for many years. Kocks Liquor Beer & Wine, which specializes in both retail and wholesale distribution, had a couple of other locations over the years including 3124 Seymour Highway, 45133 Southwest Parkway, 4304 Kemp, and the current location at 4505 Kemp. For a while, it was the largest liquor store ever built in Wichita Falls with 9,000 square feet of retail space and more than 6,700 products in stock. John Allen’s sons, Victor and John David, owned and operated the store until they sold it to its present owners in 2021. The business was family owned for 43 years.

John has been a faithful member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church since birth, and he and Linnie raised their children in the church. Their children also attended the Academy of Mary Immaculate (Catholic school) in their early years.

He and his family lived in Lakeside City for many years. He served on the Lakeside City Council and as mayor pro tem for five or six years. Then he and his wife built a house on 10 acres in Archer County, where they lived for almost 40 years.

John enjoyed golf and won trophies in 25 senior tournaments in Texas & Oklahoma over the years. He also enjoyed building as a hobby, and his family members always came to him to fix anything. When a giant old satellite dish was no longer used, he repurposed it and used it as the roof for a gazebo he built for his wife Linnie. Another hobby was gardening and farming. All his family members enjoyed fresh tomatoes, pears, okra, and his grandchildren’s favorite, watermelon.

John always thought of his family as his greatest treasure, and he poured his love and support into his wife, his three children, eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. He helped support the college education of all three of his children and eight grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John Alois & Magdelena Kocks; sisters, Betty Baker and Juanita Morales; sister and husband Virginia and Robert Wachsman; his brother and his wife, Melvin & Betty Kocks; his brother Jimmy Kocks; and a grandson-in-law, William Michael “Mike” Burgess.

He is survived by his wife of 74 years of marriage, Linnie Kocks of Archer County; his son and wife, Victor and Joene Kocks of Archer County; son John David Kocks, also of Archer County; daughter and her husband, Mary and Scott Slack of Roanoke, Texas; granddaughter Jenara Kocks Burgess of Wichita Falls, granddaughter and her husband Vanessa and Brad Davidson of Archer County; granddaughter and her husband, Tabitha and Jeremy White of North Richland Hills, Texas; granddaughter and her husband Jessica and Lee Walden of Archer County; grandson and his wife, Brennon and Candis Kocks of Wichita Falls; grandson Vince Kocks of Round Rock, Texas; grandson and his wife Jared and Trestian Slack of Dallas, Texas; grandson Jonathan Slack of Honolulu, Hawaii; 11 great-grandchildren: Courtney Truelove and her husband Billy, Christan, Bobbi, Jena and Giovanna Burgess; Coby and Colt Davidson; Cohen and Garner White; John Abel and Kylin Kocks; three great-great grandchildren: Aliya, Issac Liam and Jensen and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wichita Falls or Hospice of Wichita Falls.