Reverend Eugene Cochran

On the morning of July 2, 2026 The Reverend Eugene Clark Cochran died at his home in Lubbock, Texas. He was surrounded by the songs and prayers of his family, who loved him dearly. When asked if he had any last words to pass along, he said, “I am depending on the grace of God to bring me home.”

Gene was born to James and Martha Cochran on October 25, 1947 in Thomasville, Georgia. His parents had been stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, and Martha, who had contracted malaria, returned to their Southwest Georgia community for the birth. Gene was born with malaria and needed transfusions; many local people came to the hospital to donate blood for “the sick baby.” His mother and grandmother stubbornly nursed him through those first years of fragile health, and he grew up in a large, loving family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as an older brother, Sydney, a younger sister, Marcia, and a bonus sister, Margot Howard, who joined the family after the loss of her parents.

In many respects, the small town of Bainbridge, Georgia, where Gene grew up, was an extended family, and he enjoyed participating in the activities of community life there. In high school, he worked at the local pharmacy, Ehrlich’s Drug Company, played bass drum in the Bainbridge Bearcat Marching Band, and served as president of the United Methodist Youth Fellowship at his home church. As a representative for that group, he attended a national youth rally at Purdue University in Indiana where he grappled with the perspectives of other Christian students from around the U.S. on the Civil Rights-era South. He attended college at Oxford College of Emory University, Andrew College, and finally graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in history. On summer breaks, he worked at Grand Teton National Park in Jackson Hole, WY where he discovered a love for rugged western landscapes. Later, he attended seminary at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and served as a chaplain intern at Georgia Regional Hospital, a psychiatric facility.

As a young minister in the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, Gene was often appointed to “circuits,” which included two, three, and even four rural churches at a time. During his career he served churches in the towns of Wadley, Uvalda, Omega, Midville, Jesup, Byron, Eastman, Fitzgerald, Dublin, Cairo, and Macon. He also served as Registrar for the Board of Ordained Ministry and chaired the Board of Higher Education. During his time in Macon, he was Director of Ministerial Services. He was an active member of the Walk to Emmaus community, as well as a member of Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis Clubs in the various towns where he was appointed.

When he was thirty years old, he conducted a whirlwind courtship of Elizabeth Ann Hopkins, a schoolteacher with two young children, Christie and Mac, whom he later adopted. They married and together welcomed a daughter, Rebecca, into the family.

When Gene retired in 2013, he and Elizabeth moved to Lubbock, Texas in order to be near their children and grandchildren. They enjoyed over a decade of helping to nurture both grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all while contributing to communities around West Texas. Gene served part-time at churches in Lubbock, Petersburg, and Morton until failing

health prevented travel. He loved his vocation, and even when he could no longer officially work as a pastor, he treated every interaction with another person as an opportunity for ministry.

Gene claimed to have been a poor student in school, but he was rarely found without a book in his hands. He enjoyed discussing history, politics, culture, ethics, and theology. Most especially, he loved people, and he did his best to keep up with friends and family he missed back in Georgia. He made friends wherever he went, and he was genuinely interested in knowing their stories, encouraging them in times of trouble, and praying for them to thrive. Many have commented on how much they appreciated his “making room” for their doubts, frustrations, and sorrows just as freely as he celebrated their joys, triumphs, and faith milestones. He was happy to walk alongside others in times of depression, anger, fear, and feelings of being an outsider. He also possessed a mischievous sense of humor, delighting in un-preacherly jokes and songs, especially if he could make someone laugh.

Gene is survived by his wife of 48 years, Elizabeth Ann, children Christie (Brandon) Mulkey, Mac (Amber) Cochran, and Rebecca (Jason) Mulkey, his brother Dr. Sydney (Carol) Cochran, sisters Rev. Marcia Cochran and Margot Howard, as well as an abundance of doting nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held for Rev. Cochran on Monday, July 6, 2026 at 10 A.M. at Providence Presbyterian Church, 3301 34th St, Lubbock, Texas. The service may be viewed on YouTube (https://tinyurl.com/eugenecochran). A reception will follow in the fellowship hall. Burial will be at St. Olaf’s Kirk cemetery in Cranfill’s Gap, Texas on July 7th. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Gene’s honor may be made to South Plains Food Bank or Wesley Glen Ministries, Inc.