Our world lost a compassionate member when on April 19, 2024 Joan Cochran passed away quietly with family members by her side. To understand who Joan Cochran was is to recount her history as a young 22 year old willing to travel alone across the Atlantic Ocean to begin a new life away from her native England and the ravages of World War II.

But let us begin at the beginning. Joan was born on September 23, 1924 in Headington Quarry, Oxfordshire, England. Daughter of Jesse and Harriet Hooper, she was raised in a large family of nine brothers with (George, Charles, Stanley, Thomas, William, Jesse, Frederick, Frank, and Eric, and two sisters, Winifred and Betty.)

Joan's elementary school and church were a short walk from her home. When she finished school, she worked as a welder making wing supports for the Spitfire fighter plane. Her entire family was involved in the war effort either as soldiers or on the assembly lines. Not surprising for the wartimes, her sister, Bette, met a GI, married and moved to the United States. "Aunt Bette" encouraged Joan to move to the US, which she did. She lived with Bette in Kittanning Pennsylvania until she married Ray Cochran. In 1956, Joan received her naturalization papers.

Ray and Joan had three sons (Allan Ray, Stephen Paul, and Daniel James, along with one daughter, Jacqueline.) The family lived in the country while the children were in their early formative years, but later the family moved to Freeport on the Allegheny River where they all attended High School.

Joan was preceded in death by her loving husband, Ray. She is survived by her four children, six grandchildren (Colin, Peter, Tyler, Lacey, Ross and Kristin) and eight great grandchildren (Gigi, Vy, Raynor, Jager, Lennox, Cole, Jackson, and Adelynn Joan) who adore her just as we all do.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Emanuel United Methodist Church in Melbourne FL on Saturday, April 27th at 11:00 AM. A lunch gathering will be held immediately after the service to allow all of us to express our love and gratitude for knowing such a wonderful woman.