On Thursday, February 20,2020, David Lee Cocanower II, of Toms River, loving son, husband, and doting father of two, passed away at the age of 50. Dave was born on August 14,1969 in Mishawaka, Indiana. He was predeceased by his mother, Barbara Ann (Murphy) Cocanower. He is survived by his father David Lee Cocanower I; his wife Kerry (O'Brien) Cocanower of 21 years; and his children Grace Lynn and Joshua David. He is also survived by his sister Gina (Cocanower) Fleener and her husband Kent Fleener of Granger, IN; his sister Dawn Cocanower and her partner John Podemski of Osceola, IN; his father-in-law and mother-in-law Tom and Nancy O’Brien of Toms River; his brother-in-law Kevin O’Brien and his wife Nicole (Knauer) O’Brien of Winter Garden, FL; his sister-in-law Megan (O’Brien) Fraser and her husband Paul Fraser of St. Augustine, FL; his nephew Matthew Greene and his wife Kim; his niece Tasha Cocanower and partner James Jones; his niece Mikayla Cocanower; his niece Kelsey Cartwright; his nephew Finn and many extended family members and friends.
Dave graduated from Penn High School in 1987, where he played varsity baseball and football. In 1991, he graduated from Manchester University with a BS in Computer Science. He played baseball for the Spartans his freshman year then chose to focus on his studies thereafter. After graduation he was first employed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals and through the company transferred to New Jersey in 1993. In 1996, Dave gained employment with BOC Gasses (Messer), where he worked for 24 years. At the time of his passing his job title was Senior IT Manager. Throughout his employment with Messer he was grateful for the opportunity to travel the world; including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, England, Germany and Switzerland.
Dave and Kerry met in 1996 through a mutual friend and entered a whirlwind romance and Dave proposed after only five months of dating. The couple married in St. Andrew Church, Toms River on May 23, 1998. The newlyweds moved to Tinton Falls where they resided for seven years. Ultimately, they moved to Toms River and raised their children there.
Dave loved and was beloved by his coworkers. He prioritized his family life with frequent vacations to visit extended family in Indiana and Florida. He particularly loved Essenhaus in Middlebury, Indiana and the Food and Wine Festival in Epcot. He enjoyed hosting neighbors and friends for BBQs where he presided over events as the Grillmaster. He coached soccer for the Manchester Blue Dragons for 10 years and encouraged young athletes in their chosen sports. Dave was known for his exuberant love of life, his undeniable sense of humor, and his irrefutable loyalty to his friends. Dave was a friend to everyone and everyone was a friend to Dave.
Visitation will be Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 2-6 pm at Anderson & Campbell Funeral Home, 703 Main Street Toms River, NJ 08753. Funeral Services will begin at 5:15 pm.
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