IAN WILLIAM COCHRANE

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IAN WILLIAM COCHRANE Ian Cochrane, formerly of Winnipeg, passed away on March 31, 2014, in North Vancouver, BC, in his 89th year. Ian was born on July 19, 1925 in Aylesford, NS, but spent most of his life in Winnipeg. Upon reaching the legal age for enlistment during the Second World War, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy and served on the HMCS Jolliette until the end of the war. Upon demobilization, he worked at a variety of trades, demonstrating the flexibility and ingenuity that were to be two of his trademarks. Dad worked as a carpenter and as a cabinet maker throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, until, in 1953, during one of the most severe polio epidemics to strike North America, he suddenly found himself bedridden and was told that he would never walk again. Mercifully, he did - but it was a long recovery and Dad found himself incapable of doing the type of work that he had done before. While undergoing rehabilitation in hospital, he met a young occupational therapist named Catherine McIntyre. Less than a year later, they were married and had moved into a tiny house in Fort Garry. Soon afterwards, in 1956, their first son, Sandy, was born. Their second son, Donald, arrived in 1961, shortly after the family had moved into a house in Charleswood that he had built himself. During this time, Dad worked at whatever jobs were available for a man with his physical limitations, until he finally ended up at the then-named Society for Crippled Children of Manitoba. Throughout the next few years, Ian settled into a career with the Rehab Hospital (later the Rehab Centre) where he worked for 20 years. Starting in the machine shop, he worked his way into the field of orthotics and prosthetics, becoming one of Manitoba's first Certified Prosthetists. His ingenuity was allowed to flourish and he designed and perfected many improvements to artificial limbs that were being produced at the time. One of his many sources of pride was that he had continued to take professional development courses throughout his career, and was invited to deliver papers and addresses at conferences in Canada, the US, and in Europe. Mom and Dad had been married for 31 years when she died of cancer in 1985. Dad took his well-deserved retirement a year later and converted his garage into a workshop where he designed and built cabinetry and furniture for friends and neighbours. To be closer to family, he moved to Sidney, BC in the late 1990s, and then later to North Vancouver. At the time of his death, he was living in Evergreen Lodge. Throughout his life, Dad possessed a tremendous sense of humour with an uncanny ability to pun. He loved to play the harmonica and even though his eyesight continued to dim, he loved working on his computer. He loved his grandchildren dearly. In addition to Mom, Dad was predeceased by his parents, and by his sisters Audrey, Thelma and Vivian. He is survived by his sons Sandy (Wendy Van Riesen) and Donald (Adriana Kolar), his three grandsons, Russell, Duncan and Ian Razvan, and by his brother Bob. Dad faced many challenges throughout his life and always marched on determined to succeed. He refused to let his physical limitations interfere with his daily life. He was a devoted son-in-law and father-in-law. He derived immense pride from his manual skills - there was very little that he could not fix, figure out, or build. A private family service will be held in North Vancouver at a later date. Memories of Dad may be sent to the family at donald.cochrane@gmail.com. Thank you to all of Dad's family and friends who have offered their condolences and memories. He will be missed very much by his family and those who knew him.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 12, 2014