Barbara Jane Cochran-Hess

Barbara Jane Hanna (Cochran) Hess, 84, of Grants Pass, Oregon, passed away Monday, May 27, 2019 with family by her side.

Barb was born October 5, 1934, in Oil City, Pennsylvania, to Richard Hanna Sr. and Dorothea Jane Peters (Hanna) Martin. She graduated from Oil City High School and began working for the Gas Company.

In 1953, she married Jack D. Cochran. They had four children: Donald, Susan, Pamela and Brian. While living in Oil City, Barb worked for Joy and Quaker State, where she was the Division Assistant to the Executive Vice President.

In 1973, they moved to Ojai Avenue in Grants Pass, Oregon. Until her death, she was close friends with many from Ojai.

Barbara worked for Josephine Memorial Hospital as an Executive Assistant for Human Resources. Later, she and Jack owned and operated BarJac Ceramics out of their home, where she met many lifelong friends.

Barbara survived her husband, Jack, who passed in 1993.

Activities she enjoyed were cooking, dancing (teaching everyone the jitterbug), biking, cross-country skiing, softball and traveling around the world with family and friends. Watching Jeopardy and knitting was her evening ritual and she generously gave of the items knitted. Barb thoroughly enjoyed staying in contact with others near and far via the gold old telephone. Among those were her good friends from Oil City.

In 2000, she married Francis (Dick) Hess. Traveling and spending time with family and friends were an enjoyment to them.

Barb volunteered over the years in Grants Pass for Rogue Community College Concert Bowl, Grants Pass Community Concert, and at The ROC Food Pantry to name a few.

Along with her husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents; step-parents, Alena Hanna and Perry Martin; and brother, Richard Hanna Jr.

Barbara is survived by her children, Donald (Jani) of Rogue River, Oregon; Susan of Bend, Oregon; Pamela of Medford, Oregon; Brian (Tammy) of Grants Pass; two half-brothers, Thomas Hanna of Pennsylvania and Kevin Martin of Georgia; two half-sisters, Vicki Fox of North Carolina and Joan Gamble of Ohio; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren, who all loved her dearly and will miss her very much.

Her love of life and family, her friendliness to all she met were her trademarks. She never met a stranger.

The celebration of her life will be held Saturday, July 20, 2019, at 2 p.m. at First Christian Church in Grants Pass.

For memorial contributions, the family has designated: The ROC Food Pantry, 564 SW Foundry Street, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526.