James Mark Rocklin 1942 - 2017

ROCKLIN, MARCO, YELLEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen- Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/16/2017 at 12:56:40

Sioux City Journal
15 January 2017

SIOUX CITY | James Mark Rocklin, 74, of Sioux City, died Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, at home, after enduring 25 months with pancreatic cancer.

Graveside services will be 9:30 a.m. Monday at Mount Sinai Cemetery (Floyd Cemetery, 2500 E. Seventh St., Sioux City). Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Congregation Beth Shalom, with Rabbi Hillel "Guy" Greene officiating. Arrangements are with Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Condolences may be expressed at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

James Mark Rocklin was born Oct. 30, 1942, in Sioux City, to Isadore and Rena (Marco) Rocklin. He attended school in Sioux City, and graduated from Central High School. Rocklin studied mechanical/industrial engineering, business management and law at the University of Iowa. He was admitted to the bar associations in Iowa, California, Minnesota, Colorado and Nebraska, as well as the United States Supreme Court.

He practiced law in San Francisco, Calif., for many years, and served as house counsel for Bechtel Corporation, Deputy Attorney General of the State of California, and later in private practice in San Rafael, Calif. Rocklin moved to Minneapolis, Minn., where he was involved in commercial real estate. He then moved to Colorado where he served as house counsel for Storage Technology.

He returned to his hometown in 1976 to be president of Rocklin Manufacturing Co., a family-owned industrial electronics manufacturing company with worldwide sales. Concurrently for 30 years, he was engaged in private law practice in the Frances Building in downtown Sioux City. He was a general practitioner with emphasis on immigration law.

He married Fern L. (Yellen) Rocklin on Nov. 2, 1975, in Minneapolis.

Survivors include his spouse, Fern; his daughter, Margo A. Rocklin Goldman, son-in-law Frank Goldman and grandson Wyatt Isadore Rocklin Goldman, all of Denver, Colo.; and his son, Ross M. Rocklin, daughter-in-law Lauren Rocklin, granddaughter Siena Grace Rocklin and grandson Dawson Jacob Rocklin, all of Chicago, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Isadore and Rena Rocklin.

Rocklin was a lifelong Boy Scout leader, and was an Eagle Scout and a Silver Beaver recipient. He was a publicly elected member of Western Iowa Tech Community College Board of Directors for 16 years and served as past president. He was a longtime member of the WITCC Foundation Board and served as past president. He was an active member of the Downtown Sioux City Rotary Club and a past president. In 2016, Rocklin received the Rotary "Key Way" Award, “For his outstanding contributions toward Siouxland's Economic Growth and Community Development."

He was a board member of the Siouxland Center for Active Generations, and was active as a Soup Kitchen volunteer. He enjoyed being an amateur radio operator for more than 50 years. He started an all-male reading group in 2002 and was an avid reader.

Adventure travel was a lifetime quest for Rocklin, who experienced visits to 70 countries throughout the world and all 50 USA States.

Rocklin was a member of Congregation Beth Shalom.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the "Isadore and Jim Rocklin Scholarship Fund for Engineering Students" at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, via Jim Braunschweig, executive director at WITCC. Contact Jim at jim.braunschweig@witcc.edu, or mail memorials to WITCC, Attn: Foundation, 4647 Stone Ave., PO Box 5199, Sioux City, IA 51102.