Obituary of Ann Maureen Cochran

Ann Tatem Cochran

August 7, 1946 – March 6, 2023

Ann Cochran, of Lorton, Virginia, was the youngest of four children, born to Florita Tatem on the beautiful island of Barbados. She attended the Convent School in Barbados, where she regularly got into mischief. She later worked as a flight attendant, which is how she met her future husband, Leslie Powell.  Ann was quite a looker, and Leslie was a dashing American who soon whisked her away to his home state of Florida.  The couple had three children, Richard, Linda, and Neil. Tragedy struck and Leslie was killed in an accident at the age of 42. Ann was a loving and devoted mother to her kids and got the family through this painful loss. 

Luckily, Ann had another chance at love. She met her husband, Mickey Cochran, at work and the two fell in love and were married in 1992.  They lived happily in Damascus, Maryland until Mickey’s death in 2018.  Ann, who was fondly known as “Ms. Annie,” was an active member of the Damascus community, and in particular, the Damascus United Methodist Church, where she still has many beloved friends.  Ann and Mickey were a fixture of the kitchen at Damascus Church, where they prepared meals for hundreds of Wednesday night dinners and catered many weddings and special events at the church. 

When Ann’s grandson, Teddy, was born, she heard that her daughter was planning to hire a nanny. Ann would not hear of it. She volunteered to take over full-time child care duties and cared for Teddy from the time he was six months old. “Nana” was the most amazing grandmother a little boy could have. She taught Teddy how to ride a tricycle and spent many hours with him at the park making new friends in the sandbox.

When Ann became ill with cancer in 2011, Mickey devoted himself to taking care of her. No one could take better care of Ms. Annie than Mickey, and he nursed her devotedly for a number of years. Sadly, Mickey himself was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. He worked so hard to get better, but it was not to be. He simply did not want to leave his Ms. Annie, but God had other plans.  

After losing her beloved Mickey, Ann settled in at Lindsay Hill, a senior community in Lorton, Virginia, which was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. While Ann lived on her own, she was never alone or lonely. She met an amazing group of people and was an incredible friend to everyone who knew her.  Ann soon became one of the most adored members of her new community. On a nice weekend day, you could always find Ann relaxing on the patio with her friends, enjoying a glass of wine and telling a cheeky story.

In addition, Ann loved her Washington Nationals more than anything. Even when she was at her most sick from cancer treatments, she would brave the crowds to attend a game in person. In later years, she was always watching a game on TV. When the Nats won the World Series in 2019, it was quite possibly the happiest day of her life.

Ann was predeceased by her husbands, Leslie and Mickey, and her son Richard. She is survived by her children, Linda (Maynard) and Neil; and her grandson, Teddy, her favorite person on Earth. She is also survived by her sister Doreen Brownbill (Paul) and her brother Larry Tatem, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at a time and place to be announced.