Karen Donna Cochrane's Obituary
Karen Donna Cochrane, 75, of Port Charlotte, Florida, (formerly of Castleton-on-the-Hudson, New York) passed away May 22, 2022. She was born October 8, 1946, in Jamaica, NY, to the late Mathew Harold "Pops" and Doris (Lawson) Cochrane.
Karen married in 1964 and had three daughters. She then divorced in 1978, upon which time she took on the role of both devoted mother and father to her girls, Lori, Sheri and Kristy. As a single mother she held many jobs, oftentimes three jobs at a time without complaint to support her girls. She had many great memories working at her parent's local pizza restaurant, The Paddock Inn, in Castleton-on-the-Hudson. No matter her role in the workforce, she was an honest, hard worker with great integrity. In 1982, Karen followed her parents to Southwest Florida, making Port Charlotte her home. She then began her 30-year career with Winn Dixie where she retired as front-end manager in 2013.
An adventurous spirit, Karen enjoyed bowling, hiking, family beach days, cruising the Caribbean, and enjoying cabin-life in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. Floating on the lazy river was a favorite at nearby water parks. She enjoyed challenging unsuspecting souls to a 'friendly' game of pool, where she'd always win. She followed in her parent's footsteps in the love of baseball where she enthusiastically cheered on her Yankees. On Thursdays you could always find her at Finnegans for trivia night.
Karen always looked forward to gathering for family events and was very proud of her family, whom she loved dearly and was always there to provide needed advice or a listening ear. Her greatest joy was seeing her children grow and succeed, and she cherished visits with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Christmastime was by far her most favorite time of year when she hosted Christmas breakfast and Christmas dinner. Her family would describe her as the Queen of Christmas where she would magically transform her home into a winter wonderland, with her favorite Christmas music playing and perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree. She'd watch with great joy as her family enjoyed spending time laughing and creating everlasting memories.
Karen had a heart of gold, was a natural giver, and always sacrificed her own needs for others. Over the years she has supported worthwhile causes including March of Dimes, Adopt-A-Road, Animal Welfare League, and very much enjoyed volunteering her time with Habitat for Humanity, even preparing Christmas breakfast annually for Habitat's construction crew.
Karen is survived by her children who made up the entirety of her world; Lori & Jeff Ferreira of Punta Gorda, Sheri McCreight of Naples, and Kristy Mazal of Port Charlotte; Grandchildren Shawna Tremblay, Michael Tremblay, Brock Mazal (Courtney Watson), Haley (Chad) Haxton, Regan McCreight, Cameron McCreight, Delani McCreight and Avrill Ferreira; Great-grandchildren Payton, Rylan, Kyler, Olivia and Brennen. Also left to cherish her memory is her sister, Emily Empie of East Greenbush, NY; Brother Bill (Shelly) Cochrane of Macomb, MI; as well as her many nieces, nephews and cousins. She will be greatly missed by her loyal companions, Yankee and Thelma.
Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Doris; sister, Patricia Dugan; aunt and uncle, Florence and Bill Johnson; and brother-in-law, Richard Empie... undoubtedly greeting her with a "screwdriver in a TALL glass" and reuniting her with her beloved pets Bridget, Sassy and Skeeter.
Karen's presence in this world will be deeply missed, as will hearing her whisper this tune to her grandchildren while rocking them to sleep... I love you, a bushel and a peck; A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck.
Committal Service will be held 10:00am Monday, June 13, 2022, at Royal Palm Memorial Gardens in Punta Gorda. Open house reception immediately afterwards at 2230 Highlands Road, Punta Gorda FL 33983.
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