The Trillium Forest
Hamilton sadly has lost yet another fine person. Ann Cochran. I met Anne back in the early 1980's when I was first married to Stephen Roe. Pregnant with Aurora, and living in Stan and Sylvia's home on Lebanon Street. There came a knock at the front door one day in the spring as I remember. I dropped whatever I was doing to answer it, an there was Anne standing there with a autographed hockey stick. It had belonged to her son who, like my husband Stephen loved hockey. Her son had died of leukemia and she wanted Stephen to have it and to pass it on to his children. While Ann was telling me this story I knew right away what a special, giving and caring person she was.
My marriage didn't last long with Stephen as he moved away to New Hampshire and I was left with many new Hamilton friends and family. Not a bad deal!
Later in the 80's when Aurora and Nick were small, and with two wonderful, doting grandmother's in the area, I embarked on my college mission. I had recently moved in with Bill and as we weren't yet married I decided it was time to broaden my horizon a bit and signed up for Landscaping classes. Ann was then a phycology professor at Morrisville. I never took her class but saw her often at the Hamilton Inn as I also worked waitressing there a few nights a week. Ann was always witty, always concerned about your family and if she didn't like some one or you. She would let you know it. Ann and I always got along tremendously! As life went spiraling along. Bill retired from teaching started a handy man business with Ford and Ann became their biggest employer hiring Bill and Ford to take care and maintain her many rental properties. Once a year she would treat us all out to dinner someplace really special like the Horned Dorset in Leonardsville, the Braeloc up in Cazenovia, the Petite Maison in Watervlille. My last dinner out with Ann was at the Woods Inn on forth Lake. We had a wonderful meal then suddenly there were fireworks over the frozen winter lake. Anne was like a firework in motion all spraying color and stars and light!
When I was with Anne we were like two peas in a pod! If we were teenage friends, we would of been trouble with a capital T!
I had her and John out to my house a few times. The one time I remember I set up a table on my front porch and we wined and dined the night away.
Memories out at Lake Morraine. Memories of her first canoe ride with Ford. Memories in the park with her grandchildren making fairy houses.
I didn't get the Balloon ride memory that Bill screwed up. Ann let him have it…Lets just say that after three weeks of being mad I finally got sick of it and got even instead. I put a macbook on Bill's credit card. So many memories. But never enough. I went out to lunch with Meredith last week at the Colgate Inn and realized then how to explain how I've been feeling since Dad died. Hijacked. Simply hijacked. I've been flying low to the ground with all my window shades closed down. I'm so sorry I didn't get to see Ann in the last 6 months very much. I last remember her back in the park last summer when my father was alive. I've lost two really important people in my life. This lesson I've learned from grieving is that I've got to get those window shades snapped up and turn my nose upward. When you are gone you are gone.
So! Here's to my dear friend Ann! When you meet up with my Dad where ever you are…well talk me up good and tell him I love him and miss him. We will look after John for you as much as possible.
The sidewalks of Hamilton with NEVER be the same with out you Ann. No one will ever be the same with out you. You were a renaissance woman, respected, admired and greatly loved.
Thank you for this hike through the trillium forest. May you be walking right now through a trillium forest! in heaven or where ever you chose to go. I'm so glad I told you I loved you. As I remember…I told you I loved you a lot.
