James "Billy" W. Cocke III Madison, MS Billy Cocke, a native Jacksonian, was born on November 24, 1946 and passed away peacefully at home. He was the son of James W. Cocke Jr. and Jaunita T. Cocke. He attended Jackson Public Schools and graduated from Provine High School. He was a graduate of Mississippi College and The School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University. He began his banking career with Deposit Guaranty Bank and Trust Company on July 1, 1968. He left banking for a brief period to work with AmFed Companies, LLC where he was a partner. In 2006, he returned to Regions Bank who acquired Deposit Guaranty where he served as Senior Vice President and Mississippi Business Banking Executive, managing the Business Banking Group in Jackson, MS. On May 28, 2015 he officially retired from Regions Bank after 42 years. On June 2, 2015 he joined BancorpSouth as Senior Vice President and manager of The Business Banking Group in Jackson, MS. He loved serving as a mentor to the young bankers in his group and believed "if you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life". During his banking career, he served on numerous boards and fundraising efforts. From October through February, he spent most weekends at Cypress Creek Farms in Vaughn, MS owned by one of his best friends and college roommate, Billy Roberts. He loved the outdoors and anything involving guns and shooting especially spending time with the young men who were at the camp every weekend; Will Cocke, Jason Roberts, Tom Pittman, Johnathan Hust, Nathan Bagwell, and Parker Cocke - the most recent addition to the group. In his younger days, he was active in Boy Scouts of America where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout at Troop 14 sponsored by Calvary Baptist Church. He was a member of Providence Hill Farm Sporting Club and after retirement he spent many days shooting sporting clays with his shooting group; Floyd London, Bob Mclean, and Joe Homec. Bill was an avid fisherman and loved to take his grandson, Parker, to one of the many lakes at Providence Hill. He was a member of The Sons of the American Revolution, The First Families of Virginia, The Order of the Crown of Charlemagne, The Baronial Order of Magna Charta, and the Society of Colonial Wars. Bill loved his family and was known as POP by his grandchildren. He and his wife, Nancy, are members at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, MS. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Keene Cocke of Union, MS, of 50 years; sons, Will (Jessica) Cocke of Madison MS, Chris Cocke of Salt Lake City UT; grandchildren, Mary Pyatt Cocke, Parker Cocke, Connor Cocke, Jaycee Lynn Vanderford, Henry and Davis Olsen; and sister, Virginia "Ginger" Cocke of Ridgeland, MS. The family would like to send a very big thank you to Rhonda Covington - who sat with Mr. Bill two days a week. In Lieu of Flowers, memorials and donations can be sent to The Heart of Hospice - Mail checks or drop-off cash in person: 1675 Lakeland Drive, Suite 407, Jackson, MS 39216 Visitation will be at Natchez Trace Funeral Home in Madison, MS from 9:30am - 11:00am on Saturday, March 16, 2024 with a Celebration of Life service to start at 11am. Interment to follow at Natchez Trace Memorial Park Cemetery.