OXFORD — Dr. James Jerome Cooke died Sunday, March 6, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at College Hill Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Justin McGuire officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until service time at the church. Coleman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the U.S. Army General Depot in Ingrandes-sur-Vienne, France where he met and married Josephine Alexander. He entered Mississippi College in 1962, earning a BA and MA. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a PhD in 1969. He accepted the post of assistant professor of history at the University of Mississippi and remained for 30 years. He joined the Mississippi Army National Guard and became the Executive Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 198th Armor Regiment, an M1 tank battalion. He left the National Guard and returned to regular army during Operation Desert Shield and was assigned the G2 (Intelligence), XVIII Airborne Corps. During Desert Storm, he and the division saw heavy combat. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star medal. In 1995, he retired with the rank of Brigadier General from the Mississippi Army National Guard and retired from the University of Mississippi in 1999.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Josephine A. Cooke.

He is survived by sons James A. Cooke of Jackson and John Cooke of Lexington, Kentucky; daughters Victoria Cooke of New Orleans and Josie Nicholson of Oxford; sister Carol Wilkinson of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware; and one soon-to-be-born grandson.

Memorials may be made to the VFW Post 3978, P.O. Box 2505, Oxford, MS 38655 or College Hill Presybterian Church, 339 County Road 102, Oxford, MS 38655.

Online condolences may be left on the tribute wall at www.colemanfuneralhome.com.