Lynn Cochran

MOUNT PLEASANT- Lynn J. Cochran, age 84, of Mount Pleasant, passed away February 23, 2024, at his home. 

Lynn was born in West Chester, Iowa, on January 2, 1940, son of Vaun Wesley and Pearl Ida (Robertson) Cochran. He graduated from grade school and high school in Mount Pleasant, participating in many sports activities. A member of the Boy Scouts and the Army National Guard, Lynn received appointments to the US Air Force Academy and the US Military Academy. He attended the Air Force Academy and Northeast Missouri State Teachers College. He began his career as a survey party chief on federal highway construction projects in California, Arizona, and Nevada. After training to program computers at IBM in San Francisco, Lynn was employed at the Valley Area Transportation Study in Tempe, Arizona, as a Systems Analyst planning the freeway system for the Phoenix metropolitan area. Subsequently, Lynn was employed at General Electric Company in Bethesda, Maryland, as a Transportation Planning Consultant, advising the Transportation Departments of several states on the use of the urban freeway planning software and procedures. Mr. Cochran returned to Phoenix, as a Systems Analyst with the Arizona Departments of Administration, overseeing the software development for several state departments. Lynn was appointed Data Processing Manager at the Arizona State Retirement System in 1972. In 1978, he was promoted to Assistant Director, assuming responsibilities for the data processing, general accounting, and records management operations. Lynn retired in 1992, and returned to Mount Pleasant, at which time he married Sondra K. (Nelson) Dolph, a classmate throughout grade school and high school. He served on the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Committee, Mount Pleasant Airport Advisory Committee, and Henry County Solid Waste Management Commission. 

Lynn is survived by two sons Ross Robertson of Mesa, Arizona, Randy Cochran of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; two stepdaughters Tamara Kirgan of Maquoketa, Kathryn Christiansen of Tucson, Arizona; stepson Allen (Karen) Dolph of Marietta, Georgia; sisters-in-law Rosalie Martin (Cochran) Thompson of Fairfield; Barbara (Stotts) Cochran of Glenwood and seven grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Sondra, sisters Ellen (Luther) French, Phyllis (John) Roach, Avon (Don) Burgess and brothers Roger Wesley Cochran and Malcolm Lowell Cochran.

Funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 11, 2024, at Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory. Burial will follow in the Forest Home Cemetery. Visitation will be held 2:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory. Memorial funds have been established for American Heart Association and Henry County Health Center Foundation.