PATTIE COCHRAN STUART

PATTIE COCHRAN STUART
September 29, 1927 – February 17, 2020
*Special Note*
Pattie’s Celebration of Life Service has been postponed (due to the recent health crisis) until a time to be determined.
The family did want to share some highlights of Pattie’s life and hope you will share in our expression of love as we honor and celebrate her.

Surrounded by her family, Pattie Cochran Stuart, 92, joined her beloved husband, Robert, on February 17, 2020 at Transitions Life Care in Wake County.

Pattie, a native of Ether, North Carolina, was born to Homer J. and Pearl Needham Cochran on September 29, 1927. She spent her growing up years in Ether. In high school, in Star, NC, she met Robert, with whom she spent the next 71 years. Their relationship was destined to be, as the lucky Robert caught her eye when Pattie fondly remembered being enamored with him right from the start. Legend has it that the delivery of a note to him in class, one day, helped seal the deal. They had three daughters: Judy Lynne, Beth Lee, and Amy Jo. Each of them married: Judy to Andy Phillips, Beth to Jim Gurley, and Amy to Gray Jones. Judy and Andy have two daughters, now married with families: Carrie to Chas, with daughter Marian and son Sullivan; and Stacey to Ben, with daughters Madelynn and Finley. Her beloved daughter, Beth, who passed away in September 2018 and Jim have three daughters with families: Meredith to Craig and two children Jackson and Reese; Kathryn to Gustavo; and Sara to Adam. Amy and Gray have two sons and a daughter: Stuart with his family, Emilee and youngest great-grandson (the newest light in Pattie’s life) Landon; and Michael and Liz.

Throughout Pattie’s entire life, she held an unwavering faith in God which she shared with those who surrounded her. She and her late husband, Robert, were members of First Reformed United Church of Christ. Prior to Pattie’s health decline, she was an active member of Circle 3, visiting shut-ins and supporting church fundraisers and other programs. Through everything, she was a prayer warrior for her family, friends, and community.

Although limited in her later years, Pattie had exquisite skills in the kitchen. As a comfort food chef, she was known for her wonderful chicken dishes (she never ate chicken herself!), casseroles and one especially delectable strawberry salad. A main meal attraction, but worthy of dessert status. Her recipes were known for their “a pinch of…,” just a bit of…,” and “add some of… instructions. Noble efforts to recreate her specialties have been untaken for years. As tasty as these efforts have been and are, none quite reach Pattie’s perfection.

Again, although her later years limited the capacity of those once nimble fingers, Pattie was a seamstress extraordinaire. In fact, her daughters would attest to those nimble finger creations they wore during their formative years, from formal dresses to bathing suits. Her expertise at creating quilts is evident in their presence in the homes of members of the family. Many a night has been a snuggle event beneath one of these warm, vibrant, “made from love,” quilts.

During her time spent at Spring Arbor Assisted Living facility, Pattie’s happiest moments revolved around visits from friends and family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved watching her great-grandchildren dance and play or listening to them talk and sing. She loved nothing better than to receive a touching hug or a snuggle in her lap. As a grandchild caregiver, she, along with granddaddy, provided a wonderful “daycare center” during some very critical growing up years for some of her precious little ones. Much of the preparation for this came from her early studies at Elon College and work as a vital substitute teacher for the local public-school system.

Family time was important to Pattie. From spending holidays together, looking after grandchildren, attending church activities, and wonderful beach camping vacations at Lakewood Campground in Myrtle Beach, quality time with loved ones was a vital part of her life.
If you ever visited Pattie and Robert, you soon discovered that she was quite a Santa Claus aficionado. Santa figurines of every size and shape decorated her mantle and cabinets. In her later years, she loved “portioning” out favorites to family and friends, knowing that this special collection would continue to exist, now, in her honor.
Pattie loved cats. Cats loved Pattie. Even the one she “accidently” overlooked resting on the top of her car as she drove away on an errand in town! Fuzz later forgave her, but this story has risen to legend status in the Stuart family.

Pattie was a special friend. In fact, Pattie and Robert, together, were perceived as a couple who always reached out to be there for neighbors and friends. Their commitment to and support of their church and community was a model for those that knew them.

Pattie Elizabeth Cochran will be missed. Her wonderfully droll sense of humor, her love of family, her uncompromising sense of right and wrong, and her role model as a friend has been indelibly imprinted on those who knew her. We love you Mama. We love you Grandmommy. We love you Mimi. We love you Pattie.

Memorial gifts can be made through:
Peacehaven Community Farm
1458 NC HWY 61
Whitsett, NC 27377
peacehavenfarm.org

First Reformed United Church of Christ
513 W. Front Street
Burlington, NC 27215
firstreformeducc.org

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