Martha Maxine Cochran, age 91, of Bel Air, Maryland, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 24, 2026.

Born in Burke’s Garden, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Ernest Clifton Young, Sr. and Ida Ruth (Dillow) Young. She was also preceded in death by her beloved son, David P. Cochran.

Maxine, as she was known to those close to her, was the devoted wife of Gene P. Cochran, with whom she celebrated 74 wonderful years of marriage in December 2025.

She is survived by her loving husband, Gene Cochran; her daughter, Linda (Hayden) Anthony; her grandsons, Matthew (Erin) Anthony, Garrett (Ashley) Anthony, and Lucas (Megan) Anthony; her great-granddaughter, Karolina Anthony; her daughter-in-law, Linda Cochran; her brothers, Ernest Young, Jr. and Edward (Wendy) Young; as well as many cherished nieces and nephews.

Maxine played basketball in school, and she and her husband enjoyed boating and water skiing in their youth. When their children were young, they spent many happy summer vacations camping in Maryland and Pennsylvania, including an annual trip to Ocean City, MD. In later years when their son David moved to Florida, they drove to visit him twice a year, often bringing Maxine’s mother along. They looked forward to helping him with household projects, his yard, and gardens, and especially enjoyed relaxing in the evenings with Dave and his wife Linda on the back porch or in the hot tub. They shared many wonderful and fun times and continued to make the trip well into their 80s, opting to fly once the drive got to be too much.

A farm girl at heart, Maxine enjoyed being outdoors and passed on her love of gardening to her children and grandchildren. She was a second mother to her grandsons and became known as Nana to everyone once they came along. She loved watching them grow up, happily welcoming their wives into the family, and was overjoyed to meet her great-granddaughter Karolina for the first time in July 2025.

Maxine was a food service worker with Harford County Public Schools for many years and was working at Fallston High School in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan visited the school. It was a proud and thrilling experience for her that she never forgot. She was a member and volunteer at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and later, she attended Emmanuel Episcopal Church. She enjoyed sewing and took crafting classes at the senior center, making a variety of crafts, including a special quilt featuring pictures of her grandsons. She was an avid reader, and she became a mall walker with a group of friends in years past, treasuring the time spent walking and socializing.

Known for her compassionate and selfless nature, Maxine truly had a caregiver’s heart. She was always more concerned about others than herself and never stopped, even when she faced challenges of her own. She accepted care and help from her family and caregivers with grace and heartfelt gratitude. Her inspiring legacy of love, selflessness, kindness, and devotion to family will be remembered and deeply missed by all who knew her.

In lieu of flowers the family would like donations made to St. Jude Children Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/ or the Shriners Hospital for Children https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en