Please join us in celebrating the life and memory of Keith Mocklin.
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Celebration of Life but this site provides a place for Keith's family and friends to share memories and stories. We will keep the site forever.
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Keith Leo Mocklin of Waveland, Mississippi, passed away on July 12th, 2020, at the age of 68. After a two month bout with a rare form of cancer (Neuroendocrine Carcinoma), Keith died at his home surrounded by people who loved him.
Keith was born January 19, 1952 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Keith was the youngest of three children born to Irma May Carver and James V. Mocklin. He graduated from Saint Stanislaus Catholic High School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Keith was athletic and played both football and basketball at St. Stanislaus. After relocating to Portland, Oregon in 1975, Keith went on to receive a certificate in small engine repair from Portland Community College.
After working for several years as a Volkswagen mechanic, Keith took a job as a machine operator at Pacific Hoe Saw and Knife Company in Portland. Pacific Hoe was a leading American manufacturer of cutting tools for the wood products industry. Keith played on and helped manage the company's softball team, and would go on to work as the Production Manager in the Carbide Department.
Keith relocated back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the late 1990s, after 15 years at Pacific Hoe. He worked for nearly 20 years at Smith and Smith Aircraft in Long Beach as a CNC Machinist making small aircraft parts. He loved the low stress and friendly working environment at Smith and Smith Aircraft.
Keith married Mary Ellen Dahn in 1974, and they had two children, Melissa and Michael. The couple divorced in 1987 but remained close friends and co-parents until his untimely death. Keith was a wonderful father who was proud of his family and was steadfast in his unwavering support of his children.
Keith loved living in the small town of Waveland on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He lived in the city of Portland, Oregon for many years, but the bayous of Mississippi always called to him. Though his home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he was committed to rebuilding and continuing his quiet coastal life. After he retired in 2017, he spent his days taking walks to admire the sandy beaches and beautiful bay.
Keith was a huge sports fan. When he wasn't attending sporting events or coaching his children as they were growing, he was watching sports on TV. His favorite sports teams were the New Orleans Saints, LSU Tigers and Portland Trailblazers. Keith's love of music was evident in his vast record collection (before much of it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina), and he attended multiple concerts, Jazz, and Blues Fests throughout his adult life. Keith enjoyed fishing both the rivers of Oregon as well as in the Bay of Saint Louis in Mississippi. One of the delights of Keith's life was being a grandfather. He relished the time he spent with his grandchildren.
Throughout much of his life, Keith spent his vacation time flying to visit his family and friends. In 2017, he took an epic 14-day cruise through the Panama Canal with his life-long friends.
Keith is survived by his ex-wife, Mary; his daughter Melissa Mocklin-Dwiggins and son-in-law Scott; and his son Michael Mocklin and daughter-in-law Wendy; as well as his 5 beloved grandchildren: Jude, Jonah, Maya, Julia and Sawyer.
He was preceded in death by his parents; James V. Mocklin, Irma May Mocklin and his siblings Jamie Scallon and James "Jim" Mocklin.