Tommy Loughran Cockrell

The funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church Round Rock on Monday, March 17, 2025, with visitation at 9:00 AM and the service at 10:00 AM. Pastors Scott Kelsey and Gary Brinkley will officiate. Burial will follow the funeral at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home & Cemetery, 14501 North IH-35, Pflugerville, TX 78660.

Tom was born in Joaquin, Texas, on August 20, 1935. He graduated from Lutcher Stark High School in 1953 and entered military service in the United States Air Force, where he served for 30 years. Like his father, Tom was a lifelong barber who operated Cockrell Barber Shop in Austin, Texas, for over 55 years. After closing his shop, Tom continued to cut hair in his workshop at his home in Round Rock. Tom even went to the homes of some of his dedicated clients who required a haircut only Tom could provide. A montage of the online reviews on Yelp ably sums up what it meant to have “your ears lowered” by Tom:

It is an iconic place—54 years of hair cutting. One barber, Tom, is in no hurry: you better not be either. If you have an afternoon and don’t mind a drawn-out haircut with stories from the past, including a few ventage “Dad jokes,” at no extra charge, this is the place you’ll like. …Mr. Cockrell is old school; he is a military vet and does a great job on your hair for a reasonable price. I like this place because it reminds me of a barber shop I went to growing up. It is always fun talking to Tom.

Tom married the love of his life, Dixie Lou Taylor, on October 3, 1958, and they were married for 66 years. Tom was ready to propose to Dixie on their first date but waited until their third date. They were soon blessed with three children: Debbie, Donna, and Dean.

Tom was a lifelong member of several Southern Baptist churches, serving as a deacon and usher. He was well known for extending a warm welcome to church members and guests arriving for worship service, frequently adding a “joke of the day” to make them smile.

Tom is survived by his wife, Dixie; daughter, Debbie Wilkinson Meischen (Scott Meischen); daughter, Donna Benson (Steve Benson), son, Dean Cockrell (Lisa Cockrell); brother Fletcher Cockrell; grandchildren Kattie Hall (Guy Hall), Krystal Pearson (Dan Pearson), Justin Wilkinson (Alexandra Wilkinson), Thomas Benson (Kendra Benson), Bradley Benson (Linda Benson), Clayton Benson (Hope Benson), Emily Mikolaitis (Stephen Mikolaitis), Michael Meischen (Kim Meischen), Jonathan Meischen, Taylor White, and Kasey Cockrell; great-grandchildren McKaela, Wesson, Elaina, Makenzie, Kylie, AJ, Jessen, Julie, Savannah, Connor, Cayson, Cade, Leo, Landry, Griffin, and Bowen.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Tom B. and Odene Cockrell; his birth mother, Rosa Alline Goolsby; his sister, Robbie Crump; and his sister-in-law, Linda Cockrell.