The Reverend William Dee Dockery, Jr., age 78, died on Sunday, December 30, 2012, from Alzheimer’s disease. Father Dockery was born on November 2, 1934, in Greenville, Texas. Proud to be a native Texan, he lived his early years in Del Rio before moving to Austin in 1938, where he enjoyed riding his much loved horse, Leda, in the Tarrytown neighborhood. After graduating from Austin High School in 1951, he entered The University of Texas at age 16 and joined Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and ROTC. He graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology and went to work for the Texas Highway Department. He also served in the Army Reserves.
Father Dockery built a career of 27 years with United States Gypsum Corporation where he worked as a marketing executive. Early in his career, he and his family lived in New Orleans. While there, he became active within the Republican Party and served as campaign manager for David C. Treen’s successful race for the U.S. House of Representatives. He moved to Dallas in 1967, where he raised his family. He was a devoted member of Church of the Incarnation, serving on the Vestry as Senior Warden several times and teaching Sunday School to young people. After the death of his loving wife, Carol Rugeley Dockery in 1980, he remained in Dallas while his children completed their educations. Father Dockery retired in 1989 and entered Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. He received his Master of Divinity degree in 1992 and returned home to Dallas. He was ordained a Priest in the Episcopal Church in 1993. He served his first cure at St. Matthew’s Cathedral where he served as Dean of The Anglican School of Theology until 1995. Father Dockery then was called to serve at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. Three years later, he was called to become Rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Garland. He served his loving congregation there until his retirement in 2001.
In 2004, the Texas Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi presented him with the Public Sector Recognition Award for the honor he brought to the fraternity through his divine ministry.
He is preceded in death by Carol Rugeley Dockery, an infant son, Samuel Rugeley Dockery, and a sister, Peggy Dockery Erwin. He is survived by his wife of 18 years, Sharon Sue Dockery; his sister, Jane Dockery Walker of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; his children, Kathryn Dockery Blair of Alexandria, Virginia, and Dr. William Dee Dockery III of Dallas; and his stepchildren Laura Ashley McLain Schmeil and Susan Sloan McLain Wait. He baptized all eight of his grandchildren – Caroline and Carter Blair; Sam, Ann and Ned Dockery; Corbin and Beckett Schmeil; and Thana McLain. He also is remembered by two additional grandchildren by marriage, Sam and Ally Wait.
The family would like to thank all the staff at Silverado Senior Living Turtle Creek for their loving care of Father Dockery for the past three years.
A mass celebrating Father Dockery’s life will be held at the Church of the Incarnation at 3966 McKinney Avenue, Dallas, Texas, 75204 on Thursday, January 3 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a burial at 4:00 p.m. at Austin Memorial Park, 2800 Hancock Drive, Austin. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Church of the Incarnation or to the 1881 Memorial Garden of Virginia Theological Seminary, 3737 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia, 22304.
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