Sylvia Cochran Canada

Sylvia Cochran Canada passed away Tuesday, March 25 at Riverside Hospital after a short illness. A resident of The Chesapeake for the last ten years, she was born in Roanoke, Virginia on March 29, 1924 to Joseph Green Cochran and Rhetta West Cochran. Mrs. Canada was raised in Meadows of Dan, Virginia and always relished visits to the mountains throughout her life. During the war she worked at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company where she met and married Jesse Raymond Canada. They raised four daughters in Hampton. Mrs. Canada was instrumental in the history of Parklawn Memorial Park being one of the original office staff of three. She remained there for over 30 years as head bookkeeper and administrative assistant as the business grew. The family moved to the Farmington area of Newport News and then to the Carisbrooke community in Isle of Wight County where Mrs. Canada was active in the garden clubs. As a member of Liberty Baptist Church Mrs. Canada was active in Sunday School and the Heartthrobs singing group.

Predeceased by her husband of almost 60 years, a brother Melvin Cochran, and a sister Theral Stanley, Mrs. Canada is survived by a sister Shirley Freeman of Knoxville, Tennessee, and two brothers, Arnold Cochran of Cape Coral, Florida and Chuck Cochran of Meadows of Dan, Virginia as well as her daughters Karen Popadic of Wenham, Massachusetts, Carol Canada of Midlothian, Virginia, Judy Griffin of Havensville, Kansas, and Lynn Canada of Portsmouth, Virginia. She leaves 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends on Friday, March 28, 2014 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 AM Saturday, March 29 at The Chesapeake, 955 Harpersville, Rd., Newport News, VA 23601. Entombment will be at 2:00 PM Saturday at Parklawn Memorial Park Mausoleum Chapel.

Friends are encouraged to visit www.parklawn-woodfh.com to share memories and words of condolence with the family.

Arrangements are under the direction of Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, 2551 N. Armistead Avenue, Hampton, Virginia.