Walter Doty Cockerham

1933 - 2024

Walter Doty Cockerham, MD. Dr. Walter Cockerham died at Poydras Home in New Orleans on August 4, 2024, at the age of 91. He was born in Biloxi, Mississippi on May 17, 1933, the son of Kirby L and Carrie Doty Cockerham. At an early age, his father was transferred by the US Department of Agriculture to Opelousas, Louisiana and thereafter to Baton Rouge, where Walter graduated from Baton Rouge High School and LSU. He had vivid memories of serving in the Civilian Ground Observer Corps during World War II, after having trained himself to identify the various types of enemy aircraft which might threaten South Louisiana. At LSU he was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Order and played on LSU's varsity tennis team. After graduation, he attended and graduated from LSU Medical School in New Orleans and served a 4 year training program in Ophthalmology at Tulane Medical School followed by further training in eye muscle unbalance with a 2 year Fellowship program in Strabismus Surgery at the University of California Berkeley School of Medicine under world renowned Dr Arthur Jampolsky who founded what is now California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), currently part of the Sutter Health Network. Following that training, he entered private practice in the San Francisco area. A few years later, Walter qualified for the Harvard Retina Surgery Fellowship Training program at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. As one of the earliest trainees under the "Father of Retina Surgery," Dr Charles Schepins, Walter excelled with his superb surgical ability and innovative research technique for reattachment of the retina. He was well known and highly respected by all the major Retina Surgery centers throughout the United States. While in Boston, Walter lived on Beacon Hill near the hospital and belonged to and played tennis at the prominent Longwood Cricket Club. Somehow, he also found time to hone his sailing skills at Marblehead while continuing his studies in Boston. Walter was a member of the Retina Society, Vitreous Society and the prestigious Schepins Society. He presented at the societies' annual programs. His groundbreaking research on the vitreous of the eye led the way to the current vitreous surgery so commonly performed at this time, together with retinal detachment surgery. On his return to Louisiana, he started a consulting practice in the field of Retina Surgery, one of the first of its kind in New Orleans and considered a leader in the field. His pioneering efforts to establish in Louisiana excellence in this new specialty will long be acknowledged by families of patients whose sight he restored. In 1979, Walter met and married the love of his life, Sarah (Sally) Eloise Saunders, with whom he shared the nurture and guidance of their twin daughters. Walter was indeed a man for all seasons who excelled at everything he undertook; his medical specialty, aviation, sailing, tennis, alpine skiing, art collecting, painting and operating a ham radio station utilizing Morse Code, just to name a few. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, the Boston Club, the Stratford Club, New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club and several carnival organizations. Walter was preceded in death by his parents, wife Sally and brother Kirby, Jr. He is survived by his twin daughters, Martha Jones Cockerham and Caroline Saunders Cockerham of New Orleans, sister-in-laws Mary Eleanor Cockerham of Greenwood Village, CO and Ann Maynard (Bill) of Alexandria, LA, and numerous nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a celebration of his life at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. with visitation from 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to be made in memory of Walter to Trinity Episcopal Church for Trinity Loaves and Fishes (https://trinitynola.com/tlf).