Waynesboro lost an integral member of its community, Dr. Thomas Joseph Cochrane, Jr. (Joe) on July 7, 2021.  Joe died peacefully in Waynesboro, VA at the age of 93 from failing health. Preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Bernadine McCutcheon Cochrane (February 9, 2010) and his younger brother Robert L. Cochrane just 3 weeks earlier (June 17, 2021),  Joe is survived by his wife of almost 8 years, Dorothy Johnson Cochrane; his daughters Amy Lu Cochrane (David Granger) and Roberta Jo Cochrane (Daniel Ford); 4 grandchildren Isabel Granger, Sydney, Elliot, and Wesley Ford; and sister-in-law age 97 Anna Rae (McCutcheon) Rassmussen.   Joe's family was able to Zoom with his brother and him weekly throughout the Covid lockdowns and visited with them frequently in the last few months.

Born on November 14, 1927, in the Suncrest neighborhood of Morgantown, West Virginia, Joe was the oldest of the two sons of Thomas Joseph Cochrane and Isabelle Durston Lowe (Cochrane).   He often reminisced about raising rabbits, brewing root beer during the depression, the companionship of the neighbor's dog on his bike route, Sunday picnics on Cheat Lake and playing string quartets with family friends.  A 1945 graduate of Morgantown High School, he received a violin scholarship that he would turn down to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Joe received a B.S. (1950) and M.S. (1951) in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D (1964) in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University.  During this time, he enlisted in the US Army and served for 18 months as company clerk for the 63rd Infantry Regiment in Korea between World War II and the outbreak of the Korean War. He also spent several years working for Merck, where he patented a technique for isolating bacitracin.

Joe and Bernadine moved to Waynesboro in June 1961, where he began his 24-year chemical engineering career as a Research Associate in DuPont's Benger Lab.  He developed several patentable spinning processes for the production of Nomex fibers, including fire-retardant fibers in early space suits and fibers for the Permasep reverse-osmosis permeators used to desalt brackish water.  He was among the DuPont scientists responsible for Dupont's receiving the 1971 Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement Award.

Joe loved playing the violin, and singing, participating to the fullest in several organizations including Skyline Kennel Club, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Schola, First Baptist Church Choir, Westminster Church Choir, Methodist Church Choir, and Virginia Consort Festival Chorus. Together he and Bernadine throughout their lives together owned 4 Standard Poodles, 2 Siberians Huskies and Lady.  Summer vacations with the girls included 3 cross country camping trips hitting as many National Parks along the way and always included the dogs, to Yellowstone, The Grand Canyon, and Glacier National Park.  Joe's sailboat was kept at Kinsale and was named Sing and Blow, for summer concerts themed "Sing and Blow for your super" where the daughters, studying music in college, performed at James T. Cook's home.  These passions helped him sustain the attentiveness he gave Bernadine through her Alzheimers, where she was able to stay in their home up until the day she passed away.

When Joe met Dottie, their shared love of music led to their marriage in 2013 and they have supported each other through this shared love.  They sang together as  members of First Baptist Church choir as well as Schola Cantorum.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Summit Square Fellowship Fund or First Baptist Waynesboro, VA.

Summit Square:

Https://www.sunnyside.cc/support-sunnyside-communities/

or First Baptist Waynesboro, VA.

https://firstbaptistwboro.org/missionalresources