William J. Cockell Jr.; Ex-Admiral Served Reagan

William J. Cockell Jr., 70, a retired admiral who served in the Defense Department and finally the National Security Council under President Ronald Reagan. Born in Oswego, N.Y., the son of an admiral, Cockell was educated at Ohio State University, where he earned a degree in political science before going on to Columbia where he received a master’s degree in public law and government. He also attended the Russian Institute at Columbia before going on to Michigan where he received a law degree. In his naval career, which started when he was commissioned an ensign in 1953, Cockell held several “blue water” commands including a task force of cruisers and destroyers. He commanded the USS New Jersey’s battle group during the battleship’s first western Pacific deployment following recommissioning in 1983. He headed the search for the flight recorder of the Korean Air Lines jetliner shot down by Soviet pilots in September 1983, killing all 269 aboard. In Washington, Cockell was assigned to the office of chief of naval operations from 1971 to 1975. He was the executive assistant to Adm. Thomas B. Hayward, the chief of naval operations, from 1978 to 1981. His final command was the Pacific Fleet Training Command, headquartered in San Diego. Cockell retired from the Navy in January 1986 to accept the position of deputy under secretary of state for research and engineering. Eight months later he was appointed deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs specializing in defense policy. In January 1987, he was named special assistant to the president for national security affairs with responsibility for defense policy. On June 6 at an assisted living facility in Poway of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, according to his brother, Lt. Col. Robert Cockell, USMC retired.