Charles Shea Cockrum, 57, of Cheapside passed away Tuesday, March 8, 2011. He was born January 30, 1954 in Portsmouth, Virginia to James Luther Cockrum and the late Peggy Adele Lord. He married Ruth Sakiestewa in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Charles was an optical coating engineer and a US Domestic and Foreign consultant for optical engineering. He enjoyed raising fresh water shrimp (prawns) in mineral ponds for food resources, developing water resource evaporation and distillation techniques to conservations out of air, and developing lumbering mill techniques.

He is survived by his wife; his father; daughters, Leslie Cockrum of Denver; stepdaughter, Shannon Francis of Denver; brothers, Bryant Cockrum and Andrew Cockrum, both of Cuero; grandchildren, Celeste Spink, Shaina Spink, Ashkiya Coriono, William Andrews, Michael Andrews, Joseph 'Kiah' Coriono, Voloma Una Chanoah Amadahe Francis, Holden Kain Bryant, all of Denver; and great-grandchildren, Aniuna Francis of Denver.

Graveside services will be held Saturday, March 19, 2011, 1:00 p.m., at Bellevue Cemetery. Interment and reception will follow.

Honorary pallbearers include Andrew Cockrum, Joanquin 'Keno' Bustos, and Bryant Alexander 'Alex' Cockrum.

Freund Funeral Home, 361.275.2343.