Lenwood Sutherland Cochran

Lenwood Sutherland Cochran

Greenville - Lenwood Sutherland Cochran, 92, loving husband of 71 years to Jean Brown Cochran, died peacefully among family on March 22, 2021.

Born in Anderson, S.C., he was the eighth child of Icey Estelle and Leland Aaron Cochran. He graduated from Boys High School in Anderson in 1945 and Furman University in 1950, where he majored in sociology and minored in psychology. He was actively involved in Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity as an undergraduate and alumnus.

As an alumnus, he served as International President of TKE from 1971-1973. He established The Lenwood S. Cochran Scholarship Fund with the TKE Educational Foundation in 1970 and was especially proud that significant scholarships are awarded to members of the fraternity annually.

Establishing the scholarship fund was, he said, a way to pay back the fraternity for the great experience he had as a student.

His time in TKE offered insights that he drew upon time and again throughout his life and career. Mr. Cochran said that the fraternity taught him how to solve personal problems and provided him the tools to explore challenges on his job as a Customer Service Manager.

Community involvement was always foremost in his mind. He founded the Rolling Green Water Co. Inc. and the Boiling Springs Fire District in 1969; he only recently retired from the Board of Commissioners.

Mr. Cochran enjoyed solving problems, which is how the Rolling Green Water Co. Inc., came to be. There was no water service in the then-new Eastside neighborhood, so he found a way to make that happen. Each resident could buy stock in the company and connect to the water line.

Fire protection was also something the Eastside needed and the Boiling Springs Fire District was exceedingly innovative in its leadership of fire protection. The fire district provided four fire stations and adequate personnel and fire engines, attaining a coveted ISO Fire Insurance Rating of #1. Mr. Cochran also served as a volunteer firefighter in the district for several years starting in 1969.

An active member of Earle Street Baptist Church since 1952, he served as Deacon Chairman in 1990. He remembered the church's struggling years when membership dwindled and he was part of a group of members who searched for ways to revitalize the church. Mr. Cochran always credited Dr. Jim Wooten, who came to serve as pastor in 1987, with helping bring the church that he loved so much back to life and making it the vibrant place that it is today.

Upon retiring as Customer Service Manager in 1991 after 36 years at Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, he worked as manager of 28 rental units owned by Dimi Properties LLC.

Mr. Cochran's main interest during his later years was protecting the bird population around his home on the Eastside. He always loved watching the birds in the grove of trees near his house. He would try to determine what the birds enjoyed eating, and he stocked the feeders with their favorites, so his feathered friends never went hungry. He had a fondness for the smaller birds, the wrens, and chickadees, and liked watching the redbirds, woodpeckers and bluebirds.

Surviving, are his wife of 71 years, Jean; daughters, Francie Cochran Markham (Doug) of Nashville, TN, Libby Cochran Carman (Bob) of Greenville, and Laura Cochran McBride (Mark) of Myrtle Beach; seven grandchildren, Cassie Markham Sturdivant, Aaron Markham (Casey), Robert Carman (Allison), Mary Elizabeth Crowder (Eric), Struthers McBride (Eliza), Mills Bryan (George) and O'Neil McBride; and seven great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be private at Earle Street Baptist Church.

The family would like to thank the administration and staff of National Healthcare, Greenville for the love and care they gave him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to either Earle Street Baptist Church, 205 W. Earle St. Greenville, SC 29609, or TKE Educational Foundation, 7439 Woodland Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46278, www.tke.org/donate.

Condolences may be left for the family by visiting www.thomasmcafee.com.