ADRIENNE ELIZABETH COCHRANE LEE

Adrienne Elizabeth Cochrane Lee, the daughter of Colonel Charles J. Cochrane, Sr. and Julia Annette West Cochrane, was born in Topeka, Kansas on March 24, 1955.

 

She could be quiet and unassuming, and yet her presence was palpable. She was so powerful that she had no need or desire to make a show of it and at times she may not have even realized the magnitude of her own reach. She acted as a matriarch for every family name that she carried, using her natural abilities to comfort and guide, and taught us true selflessness in the way that she nurtured and maintained family bonds and lands that would have otherwise likely been lost. She was like glue. Through her sacrifice, artifacts and life lessons from both the Cochrane and Lee Families were passed down for the benefit and nurturing of generations to come.

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Growing up as an 'Airforce brat', she lived all over the world, including the Philippines, Hawaii, and California. Adrienne graduated early, at age 17, from Vanden High School in Fairfield, Ca., and matriculated into an early entrance nursing program at Tuskegee Institute from which she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1977. Through her determination, she became an Alabama Board of Nursing certified Registered Nurse the very same year and went on to earn her Master of Science in Nursing (Gerontology) degree from Troy University in 1993.

 

To her union with Frederick Delano Lee, three children were born. She was a devoted wife, mother, and Nonna (grandmother), aka Nontodashmon.

 

Her distinguished career in nursing extended over a period of nearly 36 years. In addition to serving in the neonatal unit at John A. Andrew Hospital, Tuskegee, she served tenures at Lee County Hospital, Opelika (East Alabama Medical Center), and Jackson Hospital, Montgomery. The majority of her work was done at the Tuskegee Veterans Administration Hospital where she worked as a Staff Nurse, Head Nurse, and Nursing Officer of the Day. In 2005, she was selected as the recipient of the Secretary's Hands and Hearts Award, which is awarded annually to the employee whose dedication to Veterans is marked by the highest standards in patient care. Additionally, she was a mentor to a plethora of young nurses, having served as an instructor at the esteemed Tuskegee University School of Nursing & Allied Health. She retired in 2011 after countless hours and many years of dedicated service but continued to serve her profession and community in various ways.

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Adrienne was a member of the American Nurses' Association (ANA), the Alabama State Nurses' Association (ASNA), Sigma Theta Tau (Iota Chapter), and Chi Eta Phi (Epsilon Chapter). She was an active member of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church where she had served as a Parish Nurse and a member of the Altar Guild, St. Martha's Guild and the Order of the Daughters of the King.

 

She was also an avid gardener and a master of the the cultivation of soil, the creation of plant life, and the renewal of the earth. She ensured that her children and grandchildren understood the importance of these secrets so that they, too, could be good stewards of the earth and the human beings around them.

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In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her elder brother, Charles J. Cochrane, Jr.

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She leaves to remember her loving service and good works, and to cherish fond memories, three children, Khari A. (Kaya) Lee, Auburn, AL, Kenya L. (Jabar) Steward, Raymore, MO, Khalil A. (Adrienne) Lee, Bradenton, FL; two grandchildren, Éva and August Steward (Kenya); brothers Frank Michael Cochrane, David S. (Kathleen) Cochrane, and sister Michelle C. (Darrel) Browning; loving and beloved adopted children, cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends.

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