Samuel Ford Cochrane SR

Samuel F. Cochrane of Fuquay-Varina, NC, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 12, at Bland Care Facility in Bastian, VA, surrounded by family, following complications from an accident. He was the beloved son of the late Harry L. Sr. and Aurelia (Ford) Cochrane and the cherished brother of Timothy; Bethann (David Gunn) of Hyde Park, NY; Carol (late Terry Rice) of Apex, NC; Michael (Julie Housewright) of Melbourne, FL; and Hank of Brooklyn, NY.

Samuel was the immensely proud father of Kristopher (Hannah) Cochrane and Sammy Cochrane Jr., who devoted themselves to caring for him and spending precious time with him over the past year as he worked to recover from his injuries.

He was a loving uncle to ten nieces and nephews and a proud great-uncle to nine, all of whom affectionately called him "GUS" - Great Uncle Sam. Sam was known for his boundless technical curiosity, always eager to understand how things worked. From fine-tuning a leaf blower engine to exploring the latest software, he approached every challenge with ingenuity and stubborn determination. His great-niece Carter once summed it up perfectly, saying: "GUS can fix anything!"

This passion extended into his professional life, where he built a career as Security Systems Technician, and was most recently a respected colleague at Wolfspeed at Researcg Triangle Park of North Carolina.

Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, Sam graduated from Roy C. Ketcham Sr. High School in Wappingers Falls in 1986. He was also a dedicated member of the Red Oaks Mill Volunteer Fire Department, where he gave generously of his time and talents.

Sam had many friends, and found his greatest joy surrounded by family. He cherished time spent with his children, siblings, and extended family and looked forward each year to the annual family reunion in St. Mary's, PA, where more than 100 relatives gather to celebrate their shared history.

A lifelong music lover, Sam had a special fondness for Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy. He sang it with such conviction from a very early age, that his family is certain he's now somewhere, "where the lights are shining on him."

Sam will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him.

A funeral mass will be held for Sam at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Apex, NC on January 10th, 2025 at 11:00AM