Janice M. Cochran

ORANGE – Janice M. Cochran, 90, a longtime resident of Orange, passed away peacefully, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the Barre Gardens nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Born on April 7, 1936, in Pittsfield, Maine, she was the daughter of Francis and Eunice (Chandler) McCarthy. She attended elementary school in St. Johnsbury, VT and graduated from Stevens High School in 1954.

On July 7, 1955, she married the love of her life, Kenneth Cochran in a ceremony held in Montpelier. Due to Kenneth’s long career in the Navy, the two made their homes in many places. These included Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey, Maine, and the Philippines. Upon Kenneth’s retirement from the Navy in 1975, they moved to Orange, VT, where they built their fieldstone house and resided there for the rest of their lives.

Janice’s first job was working for Foley’s Drugstore and then worked for the Navy Exchange during Kenneth’s career. She then put her focus on raising her four children and providing a loving home for the family. Eventually she went to work for Washington electric Corporation where she worked for 20 years until her retirement.

Throughout her life, some of her favorite hobbies and interests were sewing, baking, crocheting, knitting, reading, fishing, doing crossword puzzles and especially bowling.

Survivors include her son Kenneth Cochran, Jr.; her daughters Karen Heinlein and Sari Calevro; eight grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She also leaves her sisters Lucille Cassidy, Hope Jones and Mae Gray (Prudy); as well as many nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, Janice was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth Cochran, Sr.; her son Theodore Cochran “Tad”; her sisters Marie Grenier and Susan De Dominiws; her brother Gordon Carpenter and her grandson T.J. Heinlein.

A graveside service to honor and celebrate both Janice and Kenneth’s lives will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at noon in the Wilson Cemetery in Websterville. There are no calling hours.

Arrangements are by Hooker Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy Street, Barre. For a memorial guestbook, please visit www.hookerwhitcomb.com