Leonard Junior Kocher

Tahlequah, Ok- Funeral services for Leonard Junior Kocher will be held on Thursday, June 18th, 2020 at 10:00 AM at Cedar Tree Baptist Church with Reverend Steve Campbell and Reverend Gil Hooper Officiating. His family will have a Wake Service beginning Wednesday night at 6:00 PM at Cedar Tree. He will be laid to rest at Bender Family Cemetery at Wewoka, OK. Online condolences for his family can be left at www.reedculver.com.

Pallbearers for Leonard include Roger Barr, Michael Shane Hooper, Francis Haag, Elijah Bender, Braden Bender, and Eddie Robles. His honorary pallbearers include all of his brothers.

Leonard Junior Kocher was born on Wednesday, August 1, 1962, in Oklahoma City, OK, the son of Leonard Kocher and Shirley Ann Hooper-Kocher. He would later be adopted and raised by Cecil Joe and Georgia (Hooper) Bender. He attended school and graduated from NW Classen High School in Oklahoma City. There were seven brothers and three sisters in his family, Melvin, David, Kenny, Glen, Jimmy, Joseph, Jimmy, Karen, Billie, and Teresa. He began his working career as a roofer alongside his dad, Joe Bender, with J and M Roofing for almost 20 years and finished his working career as a custodian for Oklahoma University/Norman. He enjoyed the students he met on a daily basis and the activity everywhere he looked. He was a quiet thoughtful person, but had an ornery streak that came out from time to time. He enjoyed music of all kinds, especially country and gospel, and enjoyed picking the guitar. There was nothing he loved more than time spent with his family, and if a family dinner was thrown into the mix, he was all the happier. He was laid back and easy going, and loved to tell you stories of the family antics and joke. A Christian by faith, he was a member of the Cedar Tree Baptist Church. The lord called this hard working man home from his labors on Saturday, June 13th, 2020 in Tulsa, OK, with his family by his side. He was 57 years old and will be greatly missed.

He is preceded in death by his Mother and Father, grandparents George Hooper Sr. and wife Nancy Washington, and Andrew Washington, Jonas Bender and wife Effie, one brother, Jimmy Bender, sisters, Teresa Bender, and Billie Jo Bender, and aunt JoAnn McKenzie, and great uncles Frank Hooper, Jess Hooper, and John Hooper.

Those left to cherish his memory include Melvin Kocher of Oklahoma City, David Kocher and wife Virginia of Norman, Kenny Kocher of Norman, Glen Kocher of Anadarko, Jimmy Dorsey of Oklahoma City, Joseph Bender and wife Victoria of Tahlequah, and Karen Kocher of Norman, OK. He also leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.

The family would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Lisa of Encompass Home Health Care for four years of dedicated love and care Leonard and his family received. You will never know how much it was appreciated.