Joe Edward Cochrane

Joe Edward Cochrane peacefully passed away March 16, 2019 surrounded by his beloved family and in his home on Cochrane Lane. This home was a great source of pride to both him and his wife Terry as Joe helped design his house and had a good friend by the name of Gary Rettler build it in 1991. The home is located a mere 1000 feet from the house Joe was born in over 91 years ago.

In 1944 Joe enlisted into the Marine Corps, as many of his friends from the “Greatest Generation” had done. Being only 17 at the time and an only child he would not have been called to duty, but he went anyway. After graduating from boot camp in November of 1944, they discovered his true age and sent him home. Just in time to play his senior year of baseball and graduate from Dallas High in 1945. Joe was a lifelong resident of Dallas in which he was also very proud of. He often said if he wanted to live elsewhere he would.

Before becoming Polk County Treasurer and Tax Collector, an office position he held with distinction from 1964 through 1988 winning 6 landslide elections, Joe’s primary occupation was working in the grocery and retail business at various stores in the Dallas area. Ending this career by managing the Crider’s grocery store on Main Street in Dallas until he resigned to campaign for the country treasurer position. After obtaining this position Joe started and operated a successful Christmas tree farm on his property off of Oakdale Road. Joe worked on the tree farm for 20 years before letting the remaining trees grow into landscape and large timber trees around his home.

Joe was always an active member of the community serving on the Marion-Polk United Way board of directors for several years during this time he was awarded the prestigious Joseph A. Dodd award. Joe had the honor of turning over his seat on the board in the 1990s to his youngest son Ty. Joe was a member of the local Kiwanis Club for 30 years along with being one of the original members of the Delbert Hunter arboretum society. In 1987 Joe was also awarded the honor of being named “Dallas First Citizen”.

Since his youth baseball has played a major role in Joe’s life. He was a 4 year letterman on the Dallas High baseball team and shortly after his graduation Joe began coaching American Legion baseball. Through the 1950s, 60s and until 1974 Joe coached multiple little league teams finally ending his career by coaching the first girl to play on a little league baseball team in Dallas. Joe’s love for baseball was unmatched as he even went as far as constructing a ballfield in the middle of his Christmas tree farm complete with bleachers, backstops and lights for night games. Family and friends gathered last fall to play the final inning on Joe Cochrane’s Field of Dreams. As always, Joe was in the stands coaching and evaluating the talent on the field, even providing suggestions for the umpire. While attending ball games Joe was often caught saying, “There may be some people that know more about baseball than me, but none of them are here today.”

Raising his three sons on Oakdale Road was something of a life experience of its own not only for the boys but for the many others who found their way to the Cochrane family home, and boy there were many. Everyone was welcome; food in the fridge, doors never locked, pool table always open to play and a little cussing was okay. He was a father figure to countless kids growing up as they all loved coming to Joe’s place because they could do things they may not have been able to do elsewhere, like have fun and be themselves. With the addition of grandkids and great grandkids Joe continued to provide a fun and free home environment.

On February 8th, 1981 Joe met Terry Rae Forster and proposed to her 11 days later on the 19th. Terry truly made the last 37 years the happiest for the both of them. Although during the first fall hunting season Terry arrived home from her teaching job in Tangent to find Joe and the boys cutting up a deer on her brand new kitchen table which may not have been the best of starts as it has been all downhill from there.

Joe enjoyed yearly trips with Terry to such events as the Chief Joseph Days, Pendleton Roundup and Seattle to watch the Mariners. Some of Joe’s other pastimes included going to Portland to watch the Trailblazers play basketball, Joe owned Blazer season tickets for over 35 and was a regular at the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes single A baseball team. Another source of joy for Joe and Terry were their numerous trips to the Oregon coast trying to spend at least 2-3 weeks a year at the beach, but Joe’s all-time favorite pastimes were driving up into the coast range and fishing the headwaters of the Ritner, Luckiamute and Rickreall creeks. Joe loved the Valsetz, Blackrock and Mercer Reservoir areas and never turned down the opportunity to visit them.

Joe has been a member of the St. Philip Catholic Church his entire life. He is the longest serving member in the church, has served on the Parish Council and was a long time catechism teacher. One of Joe’s early memories of St. Philip’s was being an 8 year old lad in charge of starting the old wood stove before Mass so that the building would be warm by the start of church.

The family would like to thank all the old friends that came to visit Joe in his last days. We would like to extend an extra special thanks to Greggie, Sue, Cindy, Jane and Mary all of who have our eternal gratitude for the compassion they showed to Joe and his family at the end. We feel incredibly blessed to have Father Michael Johnston as our dear friend and Priest who continues to offer prayers and comfort to his friend “Hotpants” and the entire Cochrane family.

Joe is survived by his wife Terry and his three sons; Layne (Julie), Mickey (Debbie) and Ty; grandchildren, Cole, Paige, Jason (Hannah), Melissa (Joe), and Heather (Jeff); great grandchildren; Carson, Bella, Haylee, Madyson, R.J. and Arlo.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Philip Catholic Church in Dallas on Saturday, March 23rd. Rosary at 10:30 with Mass at 11:00 followed by a luncheon. A private family interment will be held at the Dallas Cemetery where he will be laid to rest alongside his parents Edward H. and Mary Cochrane.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to consider a donation to Dallas Kids Inc. program or St. Philip Catholic church.