Alvena LaVerne Cochrane

Alvena LaVerne Cochrane was born in 1929 in Louisville, Kentucky. She received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and her master's from the University of Louisville. She and her friend were the first two women to receive PhD's in Chemistry from the University of Louisville. LaVerne worked as a Chemical Engineer for Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. There she met her husband, Alan Cochrane II, while playing ping pong. They later competed in ping pong tournaments together. LaVerne gave up her career to marry Alan and have children. After moving several times, they ended up in Tallahassee in 1968. They were married for almost 50 years. They were longtime members of the Church of Christ including Timberlane, Call Street, and Meridian Woods Churches of Christ. LaVerne had a passion for supporting missionaries all around the world. Her favorite hobby was reading; she also enjoyed crossword puzzles and writing stories and simple praise songs. LaVerne passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 96. She is survived by her children, Elaine Hebenthal, Janet Maldonado, Alan Cochrane III, Carol Ebaugh, and Kathleen Plato. She is also survived by her six grandchildren, Melanie Cochrane, Evan Hebenthal, David and Brandon Maldonado, and Ariel and Ian Ebaugh. Plans for a memorial service at Meridian Woods Church of Christ are pending. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Meridian Woods Church of Christ, Love Worth Finding, your favorite missionary organization, or Big Bend Hospice.