Anne Christine Magoon

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Anne Christine Cochran Magoon on December 6, 2012, due to complications from an arterial tear. Though her passing was unexpected, she went peacefully, surrounded by the warm embrace of her family.

Anne was born on February 27, 1951, in Los Angeles, CA to Ken and Joyce Cochran, the second of their five children. She grew up in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Playa del Rey, graduated from Westchester High School, and earned her bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from San Diego State University, with a focus on social sciences and elementary special education.

Anne began her teaching career in 1973 at Barbara Worth Junior High School in Brawley, CA, where she met her future husband, Steve. They were married on December 27, 1975, and moved to Ventura in 1978 when both of them began to teach in the Ventura Unified School District.

Anne was passionate about special education from a young age. She loved her job, and she helped generations of students to cope with and rise above their learning difficulties. She also played an important role in creating the next generation of special education teachers, mentoring many, many student teachers over the years. She was active in the Ventura Unified Education Association, serving as Faculty Representative for her school for several years. She served on many district committees, evaluating curriculum and helping to reform and give direction to district policy. Her opinions were always highly valued by all who served with her. She was very involved in the Montalvo Elementary PTA and the Ventura High Music Boosters as her daughters grew up. For several years, she and Steve have hosted German teachers every spring as part of the German-American Partnership Program at Buena High School. Anne retired August 1, 2012, after teaching for 39 years, more than 30 of them at Blanche Reynolds Elementary School.

Anne had many friends and was always the first to volunteer when someone needed help. She was passionate about punctuality and helped organize many projects over the years. In her free time she enjoyed crossword and jigsaw puzzles and thoroughly relished relaxing with the Sunday comics. She loved family get-togethers to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and special events, and she always had the perfect decorations for every occasion. She enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, and she never failed to pick up a children’s book or two to bring back to her class so that they could share in her adventures. In September, on their first trip after retirement, she and Steve visited Boston and Lake George, NY to see the fall colors, visit her cousins, and enjoy the many historical places about which she had taught her students over the years.

Anne is survived by her husband of 37 years, Steve Magoon; her two daughters and their partners – Karen Magoon Pearson and husband Jonathan Pearson Magoon of Irvine and Laura Magoon and her fiancé James Vargas of Long Beach; her mother Joyce Cochran of Thousand Oaks; sisters Joan Cochran of Keller, TX and Nancy Cochran of Seattle, WA; brother John Cochran with wife Pam Frankel of Moorpark; brother Steve Cochran of Torrance; Aunt Ruth Cochran of Woodland Hills; seven nieces and nephews and their children; and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her father Ken Cochran and several aunts and uncles.

The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the doctors and nurses of the ER, Fourth Floor, ICU, and CCU at Community Memorial Hospital, and especially to Dr. Stanley Frochtzwajg, for caring for Anne and all of us during such a difficult time.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 15, at 2:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, 5654 Ralston Street, Ventura, CA, 93003.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Blanche Reynolds Elementary School, 450 Valmore Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura, CA 93003.

uneralhome.com.