Douglas Martin Cochrane

Douglas Martin Cochrane passed away at Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions on July 17, 2024 with his loving wife at his bedside. Doug was born on April 23, 1955 in Erie, PA to  A. James Cochrane, Jr. and Dorothy O’Meal Cochrane of Ripley, NY. Doug grew up on Cochrane Farms, the first deeded farm in Chautauqua County New York circa 1804 still owned and operated by the family 220 years later. 

Doug graduated from Ripley Central School in 1973. Unlike his siblings who all went to college, Doug learned in a different way and was a mechanical genius from an early age. He served in the US Army as a tank repairman from 1973-1976. 

Ask anyone and they would say that Doug was a “cow whisperer” and he often said he had milk in his veins. He loved cows and red tractors (he never liked the green tractors!) and anything MOPAR. Each one of his children inherited his mechanical abilities, love of fast cars, and tractors. Doug was a family man and enjoyed big family dinners with all his kids and grandkids the most, as long as there was apple salad and homemade chocolate cake. 

Doug married Alisa Orton on July 30, 1983 in Ripley, NY. They bought a farm in Mina, NY and Doug was determined to milk cows, not on a large production basis like Cochrane Farms, but he wanted a small herd with premium milk production. The 1980s were not the best years to be a dairy farmer, so Doug and Alisa sold their farm and headed west to Wyoming to make a fresh start. Doug worked at Allen Equipment in Big Piney learning that service trucks and moose don’t mix. The family eventually settled in Worland where Doug worked at Gibbons Company for many years and was known as “Dr. Doug” in the Big Horn Basin for his ability to make a small square baler make the perfect bale of hay. He had many stories of crawling into the bale chamber and having a curious snake crawl across his chest while he patiently waited for the snake to get out of his way so he could get to work fixing the baler. Doug retired from ag mechanics in 2007 after 34 years of cranking wrenches and got behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler hauling water, construction and oil drilling materials. Doug and Alisa moved to Casper in 2010 for Alisa’s job transfer and made Casper their forever home where he ultimately ended up in the oil fields of Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. He retired from USA Trucking in April 2019.

Doug always had a quick smile and a sparkle in his blue eyes. He loved to talk about farming, drag racing, and his knowledge of mechanics was unfathomable. Doug loved Jesus. From sitting on the Cochrane pew at the Presbyterian Church in Ripley with his parents to learning about having a relationship with Jesus in Big Piney, he deepened his love for the Lord as he aged. He is a true example of a prodigal who came back to the way he was raised. 

Doug is survived by his wife of 41 years, Alisa of Casper, WY. His children and grandchildren: Chad and Leah Cochrane and their children Rorie, Cole, and Sawyer of Bow, NH; Meghan (NKA Korey) and Ian Rowswell and their child Beatrice of Tyndall AFB, FL; Douglas and Ira Cochrane and their children Levi, Emma, Jace, Dante, and Lana of Greybull, WY; Mike and Nicole Cochrane and their children James and Natalie of Worland, WY; and spiritual kids Cari and Phil Derby and their child Zechariah of Casper, WY; and last but not least, his beloved aussie mix Spot. He is also survived by his siblings: Jack and Marcia Cochrane of Westfield, NY; 

Mary Beth and Don Chess of Ripley, NY; and Janet and Craig Niebauer of Lutz, FL; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. He was especially close to his nephew Brian and Heather Chess, owners of Cochrane Farms, and their children Andrew and Addison and his niece Sara Chess Bentley and her children Rachel and Nicholas of North East, PA. He is also survived by his uncle Ernest O’Meal of Newark, NY and many cousins in New York and Florida. He was especially close to his cousin Charles and Darlene Leeuwen of Newark, NY. Doug leaves behind many friends in Wyoming and New York and his loving church family at River of Life.

He was predeceased by his parents, several aunts, uncles, cousins, and one nephew. 

Visitation and funeral services with military honors will be conducted on Saturday, July 27th at River of Life Church 2955 East Second Street, Casper WY with Pastor Wes Connell officiating. Doug’s family will receive visitors at 10 AM with the celebration of his life beginning at 11 AM in the sanctuary. A memorial gathering will take place at Cochrane Farms in September for NY family and friends, date and time to be announced. A private burial of his cremated remains will take place in September at Quincy Cemetery, Ripley NY. 

Bustard & Jacoby Funeral Home will be handling funeral arrangements. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions 319 S. Wilson Street, Casper, WY 82601 and/or Chautauqua County 4-H, Friends of 4H CCE, PO Box 20, Jamestown, NY 14702. The family would like to extend their gratitude to John Purviance, MD and his team at Rocky Mountain Oncology for their compassion and encouragement during this 38 month journey of stage 4 lung cancer, as well as his providers and staff at the Casper VA CBOC, H. Karl Radke, Jr., MD and staff at Community Health Center of Central Wyoming, and the compassionate and caring staff at Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions. 

1 John 5:4 (AMP) “For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world - our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]”