Edgar "Ed" Joines Cochran

Edgar "Ed" Joines Cochran, a lifelong resident of Englewood, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on his farm in Nonaburg, Tennessee, on March 10, 2026, surrounded by his family. Born on October 31, 1943, to Hubert and Zeola Stiles Cochran, he was raised in Englewood with eight siblings. A graduate of Englewood High School in 1963, Ed began working at the age of eleven at Bain and Holden Tire Company and later held positions with B.F. Goodrich and J.M. Huber before establishing his own business.

Remembered for his cheerful countenance, giving spirit, and kind heart, Ed embodied the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself. In the summer of 1967, he met the love of his life, Nancy Gentry, after she challenged him to a drag race on Etowah's Tennessee Avenue. Though the winner of that race remained a topic of friendly debate, the couple became engaged within six weeks and married six months later. For the next 58 years, they built and ran a successful business, managed a small family farm, raised four children, and lovingly spoiled four grandchildren.

Ed was best known as the owner and operator of Ed's Grocery in Englewood, which he managed for 35 years from 1970 to 2005. For more than two decades, it was the only grocery store in town. Wearing his signature white butcher's apron, he could be found six days a week serving the community he cherished, offering freshly cut ribeyes along with warm conversation. To him, the store was more than a business; it was a ministry through which he showed God's love and ensured no one in Englewood went hungry.

Ed also held a deep love for farming, particularly on Chestnut Ridge in Nonaburg, Tennessee, a place he had admired since childhood and called "the prettiest place on Earth." Over many years, he worked to restore and expand his family's farm, sharing that dream with his children and beloved grandchildren. Though he faced trials, his life was defined by God's blessings: a loving wife of nearly six decades, four children who adored him, and four grandchildren who were his pride and joy. Most importantly, Ed knew Jesus, and his legacy continues.

He is survived by his wife Nancy Cochran; children Kim Cochran-Graham (Todd), Mike Cochran, Karen Baker (Justin), and Mark Cochran; grandchildren Melia Baker, Kellan Baker, McCain Baker, and Reagan Baker; and siblings Huberta Williams, Twila Chrisman, Dorcas Carter, Jean McDermott, June Cochran, and Doug Cochran. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and Zeola Cochran, and siblings DeLayne Cochran and Gail Anderson.