TIMOTHY R. COCOZZA, LT, USN

Timothy Cocozza '70

Date of birth: April 19, 1946

Date of death: May 15, 1976

Age: 30

Lucky Bag

From the 1970 Lucky Bag:

TIMOTHY ROBERT COCOZZA

Cinnaminson, New Jersey

Tim entered the Naval Academy with St. Joseph's Prep and Columbia Prep behind him. Coming from Cinnaminson, New Jersey, his impressive athletic record that won him fame in high school and prep school followed him to Navy, and Tim soon found himself a regular starter for the class of 1969's Plebe football team. Unfortunately, Tim fell into academic difficulty, and the "Board" decided to pass him over for first class. After entering the class of 1970 in the fall of 1968, he found new friends in a new company. He has since earned recognition as Navy's first-string field goal kicker on the Varsity team, but insists that after playing here, his football career is over. His success on the gridiron is amplified by his amiable personality and easy-going sense of humor, which will be sure to follow him throughout his career.

He was also a member of the 10th Company staff (winter).

TIMOTHY ROBERT COCOZZA

Cinnaminson, New Jersey

Tim entered the Naval Academy with St. Joseph's Prep and Columbia Prep behind him. Coming from Cinnaminson, New Jersey, his impressive athletic record that won him fame in high school and prep school followed him to Navy, and Tim soon found himself a regular starter for the class of 1969's Plebe football team. Unfortunately, Tim fell into academic difficulty, and the "Board" decided to pass him over for first class. After entering the class of 1970 in the fall of 1968, he found new friends in a new company. He has since earned recognition as Navy's first-string field goal kicker on the Varsity team, but insists that after playing here, his football career is over. His success on the gridiron is amplified by his amiable personality and easy-going sense of humor, which will be sure to follow him throughout his career.

He was also a member of the 10th Company staff (winter).

Obituary

From the Class of 1970 40th Reunion Book:

Tim attended Naval Academy Prep School prior to USNA. His dream was to become a Naval aviator. Following graduation, Tim was assigned temporary duty at the Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, PA. Tim married his high school sweetheart, Mary Ellen Hewitt, known to their friends as Mime.
Tim attended flight school in 1971. Tim and Mime’s house was usually the social center for the Class of 1970 in Pensacola. Tim went multi-engine in flight school. After getting his wings, he was assigned to the Naval Research Laboratory flying the S-2 from Andrews AFB as a host platform for technology tests. Tim was then assigned as a flight instructor and standardization officer for VT-2 in Pensacola. Tim had orders to transition to an S-3 squadron in San Diego, California and was finally going to achieve his goal of flying carrier-based jet aircraft.
Tim was one of seven children and wanted to see his extended family before leaving for San Diego. On May 15, 1976, while on a cross-country training flight from Pensacola to Atlantic City with an Iranian student onboard, he encountered severe weather and clear air turbulence near Fort Gordon, Georgia. The aircraft broke apart and Tim and his student died in the crash. There was a celebration of his life in the Whiting Field Chapel. His ashes were later released into the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola Beach, the site of many happy times. Tim and Mime had two sons, Timmy and TJ. TJ passed away nineteen months after Tim from a very rare genetic disease called Seidelberger’s syndrome. Mime later married William “Biff” Waltman, USNA Class of 1972. They returned to the Philadelphia area where they continue to live. Their daughter, Erin, and son, Timmy, are both married. They have two beautiful grandsons, Bryce and Blake.

Tim was also survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Cocozza, four brothers and two sisters, and his paternal grandmother.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Timothy was a 1964 graduate of St. Joseph’s Prep School, Philadelphia, PA. Junior Prom Committee; Football 2, 3, 4; Track 3, 4; Class Officer 4.
In 1966, he was a 210-pound placekicker for the Navy football team.
Stationed at Whiting Field, he was flying a vintage World War II T-28 propeller-driven airplane when he crashed.
He was survived by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cocozza, four brothers and two sisters.

Photographs

From his high school yearbook
From his high school yearbook
From his high school yearbook. "Aptly named Mike Wildman downs “Gentleman Tim” Cocozza for three-count by Mr. Minnich. Terry Donnelly forms audience for social antics."