W. Brewster Cockrell

W. Brewster Cockrell, 80, of Sewickley, PA, died November 19, 2025. He was born November 19, 1945 in Covington, KY, to Loren L. Cockrell and Josephine A. (Sherwood) Cockrell and raised in Charlottesville, VA and Sewickley, PA. He attended Washington & Lee University (1968), served two years in the United States Army, and then attended the University of Virginia School of Law (1974). After graduating, he practiced law in Fairfax, VA before moving back to Sewickley, PA in 1987. He then worked as a trust officer at PNC Bank until his retirement.

Throughout his life he was active in many clubs and societies, including the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Huguenot Society of America, the Northumberland County Historical Society, the Sewickley Valley Historical Society, and the Sewickley Query Club.

He will be fondly remembered for his devotion to family and friends, and his passion for genealogy and historical research. Throughout his life, he dedicated countless hours to tracing lineages across many generations, uncovering remarkable stories along the way. He leaves behind a legacy of these detailed histories and deep knowledge and appreciation of the ways in which we’re all connected.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Mary Lindsay Cockrell. He is survived by his son Peter L. Cockrell (Natalie G.) and grandsons Theodore W. Cockrell and Benjamin R. Cockrell, Sewickley, PA. Also surviving are former wife Susan Nevin Cockrell, Sewickley, PA; sister Jennifer C. Hay (Thomas), Sewickley, PA; nephews Jonathan H. Koznesoff (Lori), Dallas, TX, and Thomas S. Hay, Jr. (Janice), Sewickley, PA, and nieces Elizabeth H. Ryan (James), Liverpool, NY, and Sarah H. Rawls (Thompson), Atlanta, GA. He is also survived by six grandnieces and nephews, Harper and Henry Hay, James and Payton Ryan, and Alexandra and Isabel Rawls.

The family looks forward to greeting friends Saturday, December 6, 2025 from 3:00-5:00 pm at the Edgeworth Club, Sewickley, PA. A private graveside service will be held at Roseland Cemetery, Reedville, VA. Donations in his memory may be made to the Northumberland County Historical Society, P.O. Box 221, Heathsville, VA 22473, and the Sewickley Valley Historical Society, 200 Broad Street, Sewickley, PA 15143

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