James David Cochran Jr.

In Loving Memory of James “David” Cochran, Jr.

February 7, 1984 – November 5, 2025

There are some souls too full of life to be quiet for long, and James “David” Cochran, Jr. was one of them. Born in Rome, Georgia, on February 7, 1984, to James David Cochran, Sr. and Clara Joan Mantooth Cochran, David came into this world with a laugh already hiding behind his smile and a rhythm already tapping in his heart. On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the age of forty-one, that rhythm found its way home, but not before leaving music and laughter echoing in every life he touched.

David was a man made of joy and motion. He didn’t just walk into a room, he arrived in it. Folks said when David showed up, the air got lighter, the jokes got funnier, and the food somehow tasted better. There was something in his presence that lifted spirits, something like sunlight bouncing off the floor. He had that rare gift of making people feel seen, even when the world looked past them.

Family was his anchor, his pride, and his purpose. He leaves behind his beloved mother, Clara; his sons, Isaiah Cochran and Jerimiah Cochran; his daughters, Katie Cheyenne Cochran and Alexis (Fabian) Fazzari; and his grandchildren, little Apollo Parsons and Oaklynn Fazzari, who will grow up hearing stories about the way their grandfather could light up a day just by walking through it. David also leaves the woman who shared his heart and his laughter, his cherished Star Mulkey.

His sisters, Katie Cochran, Tammy Poe, Kimberly Howard, Pamela Cochran, and Rachael Busby will remember the way his laughter filled the house and how his teasing somehow always came wrapped in love. His nieces, Rebekah Howard, Kiersten Tuggle, Alea Donaldson, Haizleigh Spaziani, and BreAnna Donaldson along with his nephews, Brayden Tuggle, Matthew Howard, and J. J. Spaziani, carry on his legacy of laughter, humor, and heart. He was preceded in death by his father, James, Sr., who no doubt greeted him with a proud smile when he crossed over.

David had a love affair with life itself. He danced like the music was made just for him, and maybe it was. He loved to cook, and when he stepped behind that Waffle House grill, he didn’t just make breakfast, he made comfort. He flipped waffles with flair, poured syrup like it was sunshine, and seasoned every plate with his easy mirth. To David, cooking wasn’t work; it was a way to serve love on a plate. He wore that white apron like a badge of honor, proud of every meal he sent out into the world.

He lived big, loved hard, and laughed loud! David’s spirit was too large for this world to hold for long, and now Heaven’s got itself a new cook and a new reason to dance. Those who loved him can almost hear the music still, the shuffle of his shoes, the rhythm of his laughter, and the sound of life being lived out loud.

Services to honor David’s life will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Good Shepherd Funeral Home chapel. Visitation will begin at 2:00 PM, followed by the funeral service at 4:00 PM, with Pastor David Smith officiating.

Good Shepherd Funeral Home is deeply honored to have been entrusted with the arrangements.

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