Col. Alfred Junior Bockelman Army (US) Ret.)

Col. Alfred Junior Bockelman (US Army Ret.) age 83, of Kansas City, died late Monday night, January 10, 2011, at North Kansas City Hospice.
He was born August 28, 1927, in Zora, a son of Alfred John and Ivey L. Taylor Bockelman.
He was a 1945 graduate of Stover High School. His first job was working for Jewell Stevinson at the Stevinson Funeral Home in Stover.
Al served in the United States Navy from October 9, 1945 to August 18, 1946 and in the US Naval Reserves from August 14, 1946 - April 27, 1952, achieving the rank of Seaman 1st class. While in the Navy he served his country in World War II stationed in the South Pacific in Okinawa and Guam. On April 28, 1952, he obtain a transfer to the United States Army, retiring on August 28, 1987, with the rank of Colonel. While in the United States Army he was a member of the Army Engineers. He served his country in North Korea and Vietnam, in the Panama Air Service and in Air Surveillance. He was a military advisor to President Ronald Reagan and shortly before his retirement received papers promoting him to General, but he chose to end his military career. He retired from Ford Motor Company in Kansas City.
He was a member of the Stover United Methodist Church and Galloway-Martens American Legion Post 343 in Stover.
Al recently donated an artillery gun, which has been placed at the entrance of the Legion Memorial Park in Stover.
Survivors include his longtime friend and companion, Elnora Miller of Kansas City; a daughter, Connie Bockelman Walz of Kansas City; two brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Mary Bockelman of Cole Camp and Joe and Diane Bockelman of Warsaw; a nephew, Brian Bockelman, a niece, Gina Pickerel and husband Greg, two great-nephews, Hunter and Tanner Pickerel, Elnora's daughter and son-in-law, Donna M. and Jonnie M. Macher and their son, Kristofer all of Kansas City; also other relatives and friends.
Al was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Roberta "Birdie" Bockelman.
Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Saturday, January 15, at the Scrivner-Morrow Funeral Home in Stover. Interment, with military funeral honors, will be in the Kipp Addition of the Stover Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until service time on Saturday.