Thomas Cochran almost always carried toy Matchbox cars in his pockets. They reminded him of the classic cars he loved, and what they represented.

“My dad knew that cars meant freedom. He always loved the look of them, especially older cars,” said Amanda Cochran, his daughter.

Thomas P. Cochran, 58, died of a cardiac event in his Mt. Pleasant home on Sunday, March 27, 2016.

A graduate of Kiski Area High School, he held a technical degree in electronics.

His hobbies were American cars and history, especially of the American Civil War. Gettysburg was one of his favorite places, and he used to talk about someday becoming a tour guide there, according to his daughter, Katie Miller.

He was always drawn to tales of soldiers' valor, Amanda Cochran said.

“My dad really appreciated sacrifice,” she said.

He knew a thing or two about sacrifice, according to Miller.

When his two children were growing up, he usually worked two jobs, one at an auto parts store and the other delivering medicine for a pharmacy.

“He would be at work all day, and he would get home at 11 o'clock just to take care of us,” Miller said.

He was a devout member of Acme Open Bible Church. He would arrive Sunday mornings 30 minutes early for service, Bible in hand and Matchbox cars in his pockets, Amanda Cochran said. Often he would let children at the church play with the cars.

His fascination with cars extended to tinkering with real-life vehicles. When his daughters were in high school, he helped them repair a run-down 1994 Plymouth Acclaim.

“He made them work. It wasn't always pretty, but he made them work,” Miller said.

He insisted his daughter buy only American-made cars and extended his passion to those close to him.

“When our husbands first met him, he quizzed them about history and about the inner workings of cars,” Miller said.

He was devoted to his family, and had a one-of-a-kind personality, Amanda Cochran said.

“My dad did his own thing. He always had a way of doing things in his own way. He was a very independent person,” she said.

He is survived by his parents, Lawrence M. and Johanna Gantzer Cochran, of Natchez, Miss.; daughters, Amanda Cochran and her husband, Richard Zwelling, of Houston, Texas, and Katie Miller and her husband, Justin Miller, of Mt. Pleasant; and former wife Lisa Cochran of Mt. Pleasant.

Interment was in Porch Cemetery in Donegal Township Wednesday following a service at Brooks Funeral Home.

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---