JC Cothren's Obituary
JC Cothren, 92, of Light, Arkansas, died of natural causes at the Arkansas Veterans Home of Fayetteville on September 14, 2014. He was born June 10, 1922 in Paragould, Arkansas to Jackson C. and Syntha Gramling Cothren. He is survived by his son Jackson Cothren, granddaughter Lauren Ellis (Ellie) Cothren, and Angela Cothren all of Fayetteville. He is also survived by his brother Dillman Cothren of Paragould. He was preceded in death by his wife Evangeline and brothers Mack and John Cothren.
He was commissioned in the United States Army Air Corps in 1942 and flew 60 combat missions into occupied France and Germany as a B-26 and A-26 pilot. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with multiple oak-leaf clusters. After the war, beginning in 1947, he served as an instructor pilot in the United States Air Force Reserve. In 1948 he married Evangeline Cupp of Light.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a Master of Education degree from the George Peabody College for Teachers (now part of Vanderbilt University) in Nashville, Tennessee.
He taught, coached and counseled at Light and Walcott Schools and later, at Greene County Tech High School. After retiring as Superintendent of Greene County Tech School District in 1975, he was named Vice-President of First National Bank of Paragould. While at the bank, he bought what was to become Cothren Chrysler, Inc. in Paragould. He concluded his professional career there in 1996 as owner and general manager. Throughout his professional life he was a member of the Paragould Rotary Club and was named a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.
In retirement, JC pursued with vigor his life-long avocation of gardening.
His kindness and wisdom will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
A memorial service will be held at Light Baptist Church Wednesday, October 1, at 10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Evangeline and JC Cothren Endowment c/o the Arkansas Community Foundation of Greene County, PO Box 1116, Paragould, AR, 72451 or to the Light Baptist Church Memorial c/o David Pratt, PO Box 1, Light, AR, 72439.
Nelson Berna Funeral Home and Crematory handled the local arrangements.
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