Thomas Michael Rock's Obituary
Beloved Husband, Father, Grandpa and Great Grandpa, Father-in-Law, Brother, Brother-in-Law, Uncle, Son-in-Law, and friend to many.
Mike was born in Waverly, New York, the son of Adelbert and Francis Rock.
He met and ultimately married the love of his life, Connie Ann Corbett on August 3, 1973. They were blessed with a son, Michael James Rock, and a daughter, Jennifer Ann Rock.
In February 1970, he joined the United States Air Force, where he served in the capacity of Military Security. He was a Vietnam Veteran who served other tours of duty overseas including Korea and Germany. His stateside assignments included Whiteman AFB, Malmstrom AFB, and Minot AFB. After a 20-year career, he retired from the United States Air Force in February 1990. Though retired, he continued to take pride in his country and the time and sacrifices he and others made to serve America.
After retiring from the military, he began his second career as a Loss Prevention Consultant with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). He ultimately retired in September 2017, which allowed him to spend time enjoying life to the fullest.
Mike’s greatest joy was spending time with family and friends. He enjoyed hosting pool and backyard parties at his home (where he was the Grill Master), boating and floating at Lake Lavon (where he never tired of watching his kids and grandkids wakeboarding & tubing), golfing, hunting & fishing with his son and grandson, going for rides on his Victory motorcycle, going fast in his Corvette. He spent many hours serenading Connie on the organ, while she was busy in the kitchen, also playing for the enjoyment of his mother-in-law and other family members. His passion for music continues to live on in his grandson and great-grandson. Caring for his home and yard was another place he took great pride in.
He carried the mantle of the “Family Cameraman” and memorialized all occasions with wonderfully curated videos showcasing family times spent together. We are forever grateful for the memories he preserved for us to all recall.
Mike had a flair for telling great stories and sharing advice based on his extensive life experiences with family and friends. He truly felt that if sharing his life experiences could save his kids or grandkids an ounce of heartache or help them make better decisions when life got tough, then the time spent telling his stories was well worth it.
Mike also enjoyed traveling with his wife and family. They had recently enjoyed making memories with family in Hawaii, St. Martin, Missouri, Oregon, and Florida.
Mike was preceded in death by his father (Adelbert Rock), mother (Francis Rock), sister (Barb Ross), brother (Pat Rock), father-in-law (Wayne Corbett), brother-in-law (Dwayne Corbett), and many Vietnam Veterans he was deployed with.
He is survived by his wife, Connie Rock (Richardson, TX); son, Michael Rock, and his wife Cathee Rock (Terrell, TX); daughter, Jennifer Rock (MS); grandchildren, Kristen Rock and her fiancé, Taylor Kettle, Tyler Rock and his wife, Michaela Rock, Ashlyn Rock, Madison Smith, Morgan Smith, Shannon Crye; great-grandchildren, Callee Crye, Liam Rock, and (coming soon) Nora Kettle; and sisters, Joyce Rhode, Carol Bailey, Janette Patchen, and Cindy Brown, as well as many more beloved family, friends and neighbors.
There will be a graveside service at 10:15 am Thursday, June 20, 2024 at DFW National Cemetery located on 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy Dallas, Tx 75211. On Saturday, June 22, 2024 there will be a Celebration of Life at the Rock Family household from 2-4 pm.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to either: https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/ https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude.html
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