John C. Cochran ’64

John, who died Aug. 7, 2023, at his home in San Diego, was born and raised in Baltimore, where he attended the Gilman School. At Princeton, he majored in economics and wrote a thesis on “Unionization of White-Collar Workers.” He dined at Elm Club, where he was known as Starchy because of his love for bread. He was also captain of the Tube Team, a coterie of avid TV watchers.

Soon after getting an MBA at Columbia, John moved to San Diego, where he held several positions, notably for 10 years with San Diego County, before taking early retirement to attend to a number of personal real-estate investments. He also was an avid volunteer: as a docent at the San Diego Opera, where he appeared as a supernumerary in 39 operas; as a docent at the USS Midway Museum; and as a devoted advocate for the San Diego Zoo’s fundraising.

In 1981, at a Sierra Club gathering, John met Sue Lasbury, with whom he had a 14-year courtship before they married. Together they made biannual trips to New York to see plays, operas, and ballets as well exhibits at numerous museums.

Continuing his floury nicknames, he was known as Kupcake in his beloved family, which included two sons and two grandchildren. We offer our condolences to them all.