Howard Ocobock laid to rest with full military honors

Hundreds gathered in Yakima Monday (June 15) to pay their respects to Howard Ocobock, the Federation's vice president, who died June 6.

More than half the attendees were Federation members from all across the state.

After a moving funeral service, Ocobock was laid to rest at Keith and Keith Cemetery with full military honors conducted by William Wharton Post No. 379 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Ocobock served 30 years in the United States Navy, National Guard and Naval Reserve.

At the funeral service, Federation President Carol Dotlich and Executive Director Greg Devereux were called on to give Ocobock a union tribute.

Dotlich noted the tattoo Ocobock got when Federation members accepted and met his challenge to reach 10 percent membership in the PEOPLE program.

"He's an AFSCME man through and through and now he sports proof of that for eternity," Dotlich said.

Devereux praised Ocobock for his big heart and devotion to Federation members.

"Seemingly without effort, Howard set the bar so high for what a vice president should be that his successors will have to work hard to attain that level," Devereux said. "It was a simple formula: Put the members first in all things, help the president in every way possible and don't think about yourself. A simple formula, a successful formula, but not easy to replicate."

Ocobock passed away June 6 in Longview after a courageous battle against cancer. He retired in March after 27 years as an equipment mechanic for the Department of Transportation in Yakima, where he became active in Local 1326. He was a past president of the local, as well as shop steward and Policy Committee delegate. In 1994, the Transportation Policy Committee first elected him to the Executive Board. He also served on all three General Government bargaining teams. In 2004, he was elected to the first of his three terms as vice president. And in 2006, he became a regional vice president for the Washington State Labor Council.

"We miss you Howard, thank you for your time with us," Devereux said in his eulogy.

Read messages posted at http://wfsec28-howard.blogspot.com.