Bruce K Cocreham

Retired Phoenix Fire Captain Bruce Cocreham answered the final bell October 12, 2016. Born in Phoenix in 1953, Bruce was the son of George and Maxine Cocreham, and the grandson of Emmett and Lupe Cocreham and Ray and Grace Allen. Bruce was fourth generation Arizona, with his family’s roots reaching back into old Arizona history south of the Gila before it became part of the United States. He was married to his beloved wife Lily for more than 40 years, and they were blessed with two children, Emmett and George. Bruce went to St. Mary’s High School and Central High School, served a hitch in the Army, and then joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 1975, and made a career of it. He served many years at old station 1 and station 16, as well as other deployments, and he loved the Department’s brotherhood. Three words describe Bruce best: guts, loyalty, and devotion. He was a good firefighter, and was a man well-respected for great courage against all risks. He was a devoted family man, loved sports, and coached his sons’ teams to state championships in Pop Warner football and in Little League baseball. Following in his father’s footsteps, Bruce became a superb firehouse cook, especially with Mexican food. His father passed onto Bruce old family recipes developed by his grandmother Lupe and great-grandmother Valvina. Besides his wife and sons, Bruce leaves his sisters Kathy and Karen, and brothers Bryan, Brett and Brad, and their spouses, and many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends, who will miss him dearly. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 22, at the Serenity Chapel located at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, 2300 N Van Buren St. in Phoenix. Interment at the Firefighter Bell tower will be immediately following the services.