Jean Elizabeth Cochran

Jean Elizabeth Mackay Cochran left this life and walked into the light ten minutes before midnight on Saturday, January 24, 2015. She ran into the waiting loving arms of her parents, Daniel William Mackay and Mabel Elizabeth Mackay. At her passing she was surrounded by her six children and loving family. Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted on Friday, January 30, 2015 at 11:00 am in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Father Dennis C. Day will officiate. Inurnment will take place in Pinecrest Memorial Park later in the spring. Jean was proudly born in Perth, Ontario, Canada on March 26, 1932. She grew up in a close and loving home with her parents, her brother Daniel Mackay and her sister Mary Mackay McCoy. Their home on Chapel Street in Ottawa was only blocks from the Parliament Building. Jean would fondly recount how she stood with her family and watched the 20 year-old future Queen of England touring the city by carriage with her new husband Prince Philip. Her family would close up their home in the city every summer and travel to Innisville, Ontario, where they rented a cozy cottage on the banks of the Mississippi River and enjoyed the country splendor. Jean worked for the Royal Canadian Government as a Private Secretary for many years when she was young. This is where she met her husband Patrick Charles Cochran a Marine at the US Embassy in Ottawa and moved to the States. In later years, she worked alongside her husband of 56 years at their family-owned Chevron station in Sandpoint, Idaho. She also worked at Larson's clothing store for years all while raising "six of the most wonderful children ever"(her words not mine). As anyone that has written an obituary knows, it is impossible to put pen to paper and have the world understand how our Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, and Aunt Jean left such an indelible grace on so many lives in only 82 years of life. Those that were born from her, raised by her, listened to her, and were honored to be prayed for by her all know what a truly gentle, humble, grace-filled beautiful woman she was. She will always live in our hearts. She was a devout Catholic her entire life and it was truly a comfort and joy to her. Jean left behind a spinning world for those that were close to her. She has left a void that will be slowly filled with incredible memories of growing up with her, all the wonderful meals she cooked for us and each of us striving to be more like her and make the world a better place. She left behind six children that look forward to seeing her again when it is time; Mike (Terri) Cochran of Walla Walla, Washington; Kelly (Steve) Gill of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Thomas Cochran of Walla Walla, Washington; Patrick Jr. (Norma) Cochran of Wasilla, Alaska; Mark (Barbara) Cochran of Wasilla, Alaska; and David Cochran. She also loved her seven grandchildren beyond words and her one great grandson that she lovingly referred to as "that baby". She also leaves her wonderful sister and brother in law, Mary (Rem) McCoy of Ottawa, Canada and brother Daniel Mackay of Ottawa, Canada along with her four favorite Canadian nieces and two favorite Canadian nephews. Jean was preceded in death by her husband and friend Patrick Charles Cochran, who passed away in the spring of 2014 in Wasilla, Alaska. She will be truly missed by all but will continue to bring great joy to all that knew her. She was affectionately known to all as "Gramma Jean" and as she always told us when she ended her phones calls, "Bye for Now".