Allen Dale Cochrane Obituary, Death– Allen Dale Cochrane, a 60-year-old member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, passed away unexpectedly. After a courageous struggle with cancer in the company of his loved ones, he left us to be with the Creator.
Allen Dale is survived by his wife Myrna, eight children, and 24 grandchildren, including Samantha from Kamloops, British Columbia, with the children Semiah, Braydon, and Kyson, and Catrina (Scott) Sinclair from Split Lake, Manitoba. Other grandchildren include Rynelle Flett from Split Lake, Manitoba, Aaron Beaver from Split Lake, with the children Brandt, Toby, and Tai, and Rynelle from Split Lake, Manitoba.
His half-sisters are his godsons, Jonah Anderson and Id Garrett Cochrane. There were numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and cousins present from The Pas, Maryland, the United States, Norway House, B.C. Peguis, and Pinaymootang (Fairford) (Fairford) (Fairford) (Fairford).
Glen Anderson, his mother Shirley, his grandparents Ole and Josette Olafson, as well as his in-laws George Woodhouse and Stacy Pratt, predeceased Allen Dale. Georgia Anderson resides in The Pas, Manitoba, with her aunts Elizabeth Wheeler, Illa Bird, Mabel Oye, and Margaret Cochrane, as well as her uncle Leslie Cochrane and her special aunt Darlene Dorion.
Grandparents who having spent a considerable amount of time in Selkirk, Manitoba, raised Allen Dale. The youngest of six children, Allen Dale, lost his little sister when he was just three days old. He frequently spent the summers in Selkirk with his family at his grandmother’s home. When he was a young man, he assisted his grandfather Ole on a tugboat. He assisted his father in fishing on Lake Winnipeg as well.
His family frequently went to see his cousins, the Birds, at his aunt Illa’s house in Peguis. Additionally, he paid visits to his aunt Darlene in The Pas, his aunt Helen and uncle Bernie in Maryland, and his aunts and uncles in Norway House.
Allen Dale enrolled at Red River Community College to pursue an electrical degree after completing his education at Fisher River School in 1981. He used to like dissecting radios and stereos as a young teenager who was interested in electronics but was unable to reassemble them. For his birthday or Christmas, he always received a brand-new one. He decided to enroll in Brandon University and signed up for the PENT Program in 1982. In 1993, Allen Dale received his education degree from Brandon University.
Allen Dale worked at Fisher River Cree Nation for more than 30 years as a grade 7 teacher and computer instructor until retiring in 2020.
Beaver, Samantha, and Al, a single parent, all continued their academic pursuits at the institution. In 2013, he had the opportunity to accompany his daughter Rynelle down the aisle.
When Rynelle first encountered her, he was five years old. After 39 years apart, he and his daughter Catrina were reunited in 2021 thanks to Ancestry.ca. His oldest child, Catrina, visited FRCN for the first time in 2021 to take part in Dustyfest and meet the rest of the family.
At Brandon University, where he was finishing up his bachelor’s in education, Al met Myrna.
There were also students named Jordie and Shane. When his family moved to Fisher River, he started working as a teacher in Peguis. Allen started instructing hockey, cross-country, and wrestling while working in Peguis. In each of his two NAIG appearances, Beaver, his son, received the Gold Medal. Al founded the Native Sons Rec Hockey club after getting home. His aggressive playing style usually resulted in line fights or foul issues.
In 1997, Al, Myrna, and their kids returned to Brandon. While Al began a new position as an adult education instructor at YellowQuill College, Myrna re-enrolled in school to finish her degree. He started working as a teacher at the Long Plains First Nation in Manitoba in 1998, and Myrna earned her teaching bachelor’s degree in 2000. The boys joined hockey and soccer leagues after relocating to Brandon.
When Beaver won the JR “A” Championship with the Southeast Blades from Sagkeeng and played AAA hockey for the Central Plains and Brandon Wheat Kings, Al was incredibly proud of all of his children’s scholastic and athletic accomplishments.
At Pinaymootang (Fairford) School, Jackhead’s LSMS, Peguis Central School, and Charles Sinclair School-Fisher River, Al and Myrna held teaching positions. While his boys were on the teams, he continued to coach hockey, cross-country, and track & field. After moving back to Fisher River in 2002, they worked in Jackhead for a year before enrolling in Charles Sinclair School. Beginning in 2021, he will quit from his position as a teacher at Fisher River High School.
As a teacher and coach, he encouraged and supported his pupils’ participation in triathlons, baseball, basketball, track, and other local sports throughout his career. Allen Dale cared deeply about both the kids he supervised and his career. He also asserts that “it’s more about hard effort than intelligence” and that “if you love your vocation, it doesn’t feel like work” and “if you’re injured (physically), it’s a long way from your heart.”
He coached his sons’ hockey teams in games and at various levels across Canada and the US. He backed the women’s hockey team and Alyssa played hockey at various AA and AAA levels. Until he was forced to leave the game owing to a shoulder injury, Dusty was the FR Hawks’ goalkeeper. Dusty continued to pursue music after that, and Al took him to talent shows all throughout Manitoba.
Both the junior varsity and senior varsity cross country teams from his high school won the provincial championship. Jordie and Shane were on both teams. While Jordie and Shane were both students at Bold Eagle, Al was their biggest supporter, and once they both graduated with bachelor’s degrees, they both worked for their father until his retirement. He coached his sons all the way through high school. He was incredibly proud of both of his daughters, Alyssa and Samantha, who both went on to become teachers.
As soon as Al started having grandchildren, they began to multiply quickly. Each of them had a special bond with him. He took them on excursions like fishing trips and boat rides. He was always willing to provide child care when the kids needed it. He relished footing the bill for their sporting equipment, travel, and tournament expenses.
He enjoyed seeing them play and made an effort to attend as many of their games as he could. He was their biggest supporter and frequently made things difficult for the referees. You could hear him because of the distinctive, loud voice he used. Al loved going to auctions and garage sales because he was constantly searching for a good deal. He would try to haggle with the seller for a better deal when he saw something he wanted at a price he liked.
He would get up early on the weekends with his wife Myrna, and they would spend the entire time garage sailing as they traveled through Selkirk and Winnipeg. With nearly anyone, he could communicate, and he was constantly eager to make new acquaintances. He enjoyed going on holidays with his family and was always willing to try anything new.
Buttkiss was Al’s favorite type of pet dog, a Bullmastiff. Al loved to fish and entered as many tournaments as he could; his brother John-John and friends are likely replete with fascinating recollections about their fishing exploits. Al started having health issues in his late 50s. He was astonished when he suffered a heart attack in 2016. He changed his way of life to become healthier.
He kept doing both jobs since he cherished both his family and his career. He imparted many valuable lessons to his children throughout his life. He taught them the value of hard effort, perseverance in the face of difficulty, caring for one another, following through on their plans, and—most importantly—having fun.
He lived his entire life for his wife and kids. He was incredibly happy on holidays, birthdays, and other important events. He attended several concerts, music festivals, and talent competitions because he had such a passion for music. His kids, who all like to sing, participated in a number of campfire shows.
Al produced numerous pieces of art as a skilled painter, wood burner, and draughtsman. He was also an expert at fixing computers and electronics. The prior Fisher River Cree Nation logo was created with his assistance. He also designed sports logos for his running and ice hockey clubs.
When Allen Dale discovered he had cancer in 2019, he faced his toughest battle. After more than 30 years of teaching, he retired in 2020. He received multiple cancer treatments throughout his retirement and fought the illness while leading a full life. He valued the time he had with his loved ones and friends. He continued to partake in recreational pursuits like camping, fishing, golfing, sports, attending UFC fight nights, concerts, and garage sailing.
Al started leading a more conventional way of life. He regularly prayed, performed smudgings, and took his family to ceremonies. He demonstrated fortitude, tenacity, and endurance in the face of difficulty. Al was a snobby, arrogant person who frequently made fun of his friends and little kids. You could hear him laughing from a mile away. Al’s exceptional reputation led to the development of lifetime friendships with everyone he worked with, coached, and taught.
The family of the patient want to express their gratitude to the oncologist at Cancer Care, the nurses at Gimli Johnson Memorial Hospital and Fisher River Health Centre, the FRCN Chief and Council, as well as all of the patient’s family and friends who supported him throughout his treatments. Senior citizens, firefighters, drummers, and family and friends gathered to help those in need by providing them with food and solace.
A wake service will be held at the Fisher River Community Centre on January 9, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
The funeral will be place on Tuesday, January 10, 2022, at 12 p.m. at Fisher River United Church in Fisher River, Manitoba.
Dennis Murdock has been appointed as the representative.
There will be a cremation after the service, and the burial will follow. Following the funeral service, there will be a feast.
John Cochrane Jr., Garrett Cochrane, Aaron Cochrane, Jordan Cochrane, Shane Cochrane, Dustyn Cochrane, and Shane Cochrane served as pallbearers along with his grandchildren, family, friends, coworkers, and everyone whose life he touched.