Sarah Kathleen (Sally) Rockey was born in Alliance on April 25, 1941 to Hugh and Bess (Butler) O’Connor. She passed away on May 30, 2025 at Bickford Senior Living in Lincoln.
The third of three children, Sally graduated from St. Agnes Academy in Alliance. Sally married Bruce Rockey of Alliance on August 4, 1959, while he was attending Chadron State College.
Sally and Bruce lived in various communities during his education career; Chadron, Arthur, Lewellen, Kearney, Alliance and Hastings. Like Bruce, Sally always kept busy; helping chaperone high school dances; working for the telephone company in Chadron and Alliance as an operator and clerk; staffing the Kearney hospital switchboard at night; working at the Box Butte Employees Credit Union in Alliance; and serving as a paraprofessional for the Hastings Public Schools. She enjoyed bowling league, selling Sarah Coventry Jewelry, and social sorority activities.
Sally loved to entertain and cook, and relished browsing cookbooks and family recipes. She took great interest in Brian’s activities, and those of his friends. While Brian was away at college, she provided regular care packages filled with cookies and homemade beef jerky. Upon learning of her passing, one of Brian’s Creighton buddies described her as, “…the best maker of beef jerky ever.”
Over the years, Sally and Bruce were active with the Elks Lodge in Alliance, and with Travelers Protective Association in various state and national roles.
Sally is survived by her son Brian (Dawn) and grandson Gus of Lincoln; Dawn’s parents Don and Jan Egenberger of Lincoln; Bruce’s brothers Mike (Wendy) of Oklahoma City, OK; John (Loretta) of Harrisonville, MO; and Tom (Sandy) of Olathe, KS; sister in-law Nellie O’Connor of Lincoln, as well as dozens of extended family members from coast to coast. She was preceded in death by her husband Bruce, parents, daughter Stacy, brother in-law Jim (Col. US Army retired) and his wife Deanie of Virginia; Bruce’s parents Dale and Alice Rockey, her sister and husband Betty and Mike Manning, and her brother Frank O’Connor.
A funeral mass is planned at St. Celia’s Catholic Church in Hastings on Monday June 23 at 2 p.m., preceded by the Rosary at 1:30 p.m., with inurnment at a later date in Alliance.
Memorials to the family for future designation. Butherus, Maser & Love Funeral Home of Lincoln in charge of arrangements, www.bmlfh.com.