John Clinton “Fire” Cochrane
John Clinton Cochrane, affectionately known as “Johnny Fire” or just “Fire” to many, was called home to heaven on March 4, 2025. John is survived by his beloved wife, Mary, together for 48 years and their children: Justin (Lynn) Cochrane, Sarah (Ryan) Ethington, Leah (Christopher) Dull, and Mariah (Lautaro) Fesembeck. He was always a fun and very proud “Papa” to Logan, Lake, Noah, Olivia, Harper, Luka, Rhodes and Maverick. His ninth grandchild, Jackson, was born in June 2025. He leaves behind his brothers Patrick and Michael Cochrane, including many extended family members, a loyal Australian Shepherd, Bodie, and their favorite horse, Louisa. John was dearly loved by his big family and many friends where his warmth, energy, positivity, love and faith left a lasting impact on all who knew him.
John was born on March 12, 1950, in San Bernardino, California, to Jackson and Dorothy Cochrane. John was the youngest of three boys. He grew up exploring and loving the local mountains near him while spending time in Running Springs at their family cabin; skiing at Snow Summit and lifeguarding at Lake Gregory. He was part of the Snow Summit Ski Patrol as well. In 1968 John moved to Santa Barbara after graduating from Pacific High School in San Bernardino. In 1970 he became a young father and began to pursue a career in commercial real estate, working at Sunset Company under Reno Chackel, McElhenny & Levy, and eventually Prudential while forming lifelong friendships. In 1990 he founded Cochrane Property Management and with Mary they built a family business which continues to build on the legacy he began.
John’s entrepreneurial spirit extended into music and in the mid 70’s he partnered with Fiesta Productions to help to manage the Santa Barbara Bowl. Teaming up with Pacific Presentations they showcased many of those memorable 70’s bands that many of us remember! At a young age John picked up the guitar and would play at small gigs around Santa Barbara. He never lost his lifelong passion of playing guitar and writing original songs, including one called “The Trail of Tears” to honor his Cherokee/Scottish Heritage from his Oklahoma Grandfather.
In the summer of 1977, while he was honing his skills and playing competitive racquetball, John met the love of his life, Mary, at the Santa Barbara YMCA. Always the athlete and striving to excel, he went on to be the racquetball pro at the new SB Racquetball Club organizing tournaments and advocating for the sport. At this time, he was sponsored by Converse and Omega Sports and enjoyed a shared history where he was part of the same organization where Magic Johnson first got his start!
In 1982 John and Mary were married and centered their life on faith, love and shared adventures raising their family. His greatest joy was his family and then came the grandchildren! There was always family gathering to play music and celebrate life’s precious moments. He loved encouraging his kids and grandkids to play guitar, sing, fish, and ride horses!
John was in his element in nature. Whether he was taking pack horses 25 miles into the Idaho mountains, fishing at Lake Cachuma in his small boat, fondly called “The Fireball”, or embracing the Western lifestyle with helping friends gather cattle, brand, ride the trail, watch John Wayne movies, or pick up a Louis Lamar book to read. This strong passion led him to become a member of The Ranchero Visitadores for 25 years. He also enjoyed membership in the Santa Barbara Trail Riders and The Valley Penning Association. Here he made many meaningful and bonding friendships. He loved team penning, sorting, and roping. He also loved the Santa Barbara Fiesta Parade and Rodeo, riding in it for 40 years, creating a beloved annual tradition with family and friends who rode with him. He never turned down an adventure… and he would always say, “If you don’t have adventures, you don’t have stories”.
John became a follower of Jesus Christ in his mid 20’s and from then made it a priority to live his life anchored in his beliefs. John, served on the Regional Board of Young Life for close to 20 years and supporting Young Life outreach programs. John’s faith has guided him through life’s triumphs and trials — including a serious accident in 2019, then a few years later his courageous battle with cancer. Even in pain, he smiled and made everyone feel at ease. He was always the ultimate optimist! He gave us all a masterclass in grace, patience, strength, and joy. His positive attitude, perseverance, ever-present smile and infectious laughter were a visual testament to his unshakable spirit. John’s warmth drew people in. His integrity made them stay. He was the real thing…. Genuine. He left his imprint on all of us which we will never forget. We know family and friends will carry his vibrant spirit in every memory and story they have of him. The life lessons he learned he shared with us by his actions. We will miss him forever!
John’s Celebration of Life was held on April 30, 2025 at the S.B. Carriage and Western Museum, a special place he loved. We had an amazing turn out of family and friends to honor his Life and Legacy. We are grateful to all those who came to honor his life with your presence, love and support. If you knew John and would like to see a copy of the video of the celebration, please email your request to jfirememories@gmail.com.
