Obits
Jeffrey Barton Markham was born Aug 18, 1944, in San Francisco, California, to Paul and Elsie Clough Markham.
He entered into rest March 18, 2022, in Springfield, Oregon.
Jeff grew up in San Carlos and Redwood City, graduating from Sequoia High School in 1962. He was involved in many pranks with his close friends there — ask them!
He attended the College of San Mateo and received an AA in law enforcement. This is where he made some lifelong friends whom he joined for annual reunions until just last year.
He moved on to San Jose State, graduating in 1966 with a degree in sociology and a minor in psychology. That is where he met his first wife, Carolyn Rhea. They married in 1967 in Los Gatos.
Jeff and Carolyn had two sons, J. David Markham and Stephen J. Markham.
Jeff hated bullies … that is why he chose law enforcement as a career. He became a reserve police officer in the Redwood City Police Department and fell in love with the job. He went through an academy and then he was sworn in as a reserve deputy sheriff in San Mateo County.
Jeff tested for the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement for the state of California. He was placed in San Francisco. Because San Francisco was the flower power city of love, he saw the backside of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll bands in the mid 1970s — Janis Joplin, the Mamas & the Papas, Big Brother and the Holding Co., among others — as an undercover drug enforcement officer. Oh, the stories he could tell of some of these famous people.
Jeff and Carolyn decided they didn’t want to raise their kids in the city so they relocated to the family vacation cabin in Clearlake. Jeff joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 1969.
He worked through five sheriffs. He saw many changes in the department over the 36 years of service. “I loved it … we were a family and we had a lot of fun.”
His two sons Stephen and David grew up in Clearlake and attended Konocti Unified schools. While the boys were growing up Jeff was active in their lives and interests including farm animals and cars. They have moved on and flourished in their respective careers.
Jeff earned his Masters of Public Administration from USC in 1976.
He was always so proud of his selection to attend the FBI Academy in the fall of 1982. After three months of classes and training, he finished the academy with straight As and a qualification of “expert” in firearms training.
Jeff and Carolyn divorced in 1996. Jeff continued on with his career with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office where he made lifelong friends.
In 1997, Jeff met Jeannie Sprecher Butler, a local kindergarten teacher, on a blind date set up by Peggy McCloud. He strung her along for four years before he finally married her in 2001.
In asking her to marry him he agreed to help raise her four boys. Being a stepparent was, he says, “the toughest job there is.” But he enjoyed being an active part of their lives also.
He was a good sport, learning how to snowboard, camp and dirt bike with his new family. He also encouraged and taught Jeannie how to ride motorcycles. They put many many miles on their Harleys, enjoying the camaraderie and freedom of that community.
Jeff retired from the sheriff’s office in 2005 after 36 years. He retired as a chief deputy, chief of staff, but Jeannie always called him “Captain.”
He spent his retirement riding motorcycles, woodworking and traveling to some exciting places where English is not spoken and clean water is not guaranteed.
Volunteering in the local homeless ministries was something he really felt called to and he helped cook meals on a weekly basis with Jeannie.
He maintained his need for order, cleanliness and manners, but also his sense of humor to the end.
They had recently moved to Creswell, Oregon, to be close to Jeannie’s family and newest granddaughter, Elaine. He leaves a loving neighborhood and church in both Lake County as well as Creswell.
He is survived by his wife, Jeannie, of Creswell, Oregon; his two sons, J. David Markham (Jodie) of Lakeport, California, and Stephen Markham (Alex) of San Antonio, Texas; his granddaughters, Chelsea (Brandon), Kendall, Mackenzie and Jackie (Matt); a great-granddaughter, Cecilia; his grandsons, Andrew (Christina) and Matthew; his stepsons, Rick, Mark (Reannon), Zane (Savannah) and Rawley (Allie) Butler; and his special love, granddaughter, Elaine.
He leaves a hole in the lives of all his family. His sense of humor and need to protect all he loved were with him to the end.
Memorial donations in his name can be sent to the Clear Lake High School wood shop program or the Lake County Sheriff’s Activity League.
A memorial has been planned for April 30 at 10:30 a.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — John Edward Alameda passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, at the age of 80.
He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his family and friends.
He was a beloved son, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend.
John was a retired California Highway Patrol officer, sheriff’s deputy, local business owner, horseman, sailor and PROUD Navy veteran.
He spent his retirement loving life with his family, enjoyed paddling his canoes, sailing on beautiful Clear lake, and driving his jeep like a cop in pursuit. He will be sorely missed.
Celebration of life will be held at his daughter's home (Marian) in Upper Lake on Saturday, April 9, at 3 p.m.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
James Michael ‘Sham’ Cochrane
1950 — 2022
James Michael “Sham” Cochrane was born in Eureka, California, on Sept. 10, 1950, to James William Cochrane III and Alice Loree Stockton Cochrane. He was the first born of their five children.
He passed away peacefully on March 14, 2022, at his home in Granite Bay, California, with family at his side.
Sham spent his childhood in the hills outside Loleta and was active in school sports, excelling in basketball and baseball. He was always ready for a pick up game as long as there was a ball involved and played school sports in Loleta, Fortuna and Humboldt State.
He graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1968, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971 and his teaching credential from Humboldt State University in 1972. While in college, he played semipro baseball as catcher for the Humboldt Crabs. He also earned his master’s degree in education at University of San Francisco along with a master’s in counseling at Louisiana State University.
Sham was drafted into the U.S. Army and enlisted on July 24, 1972, transferring to the National Guard and retiring as a 1st Sergeant of the 579th Engineering Battalion after 21 years of service on Nov. 1, 1993.
Sham met Pam Watkins in 1973 while playing softball on opposing teams, with some help from some of Pam’s co-workers at College of the Redwoods who knew Sham playing unabashed matchmakers. They married in Eureka in July of 1977 and Sham had a ready-made family with Pam’s son Gerald “Skip” Hunter.
He began his teaching career at Loleta Union School, later moving to Lake County where he taught middle school in Lower Lake and soon moving to high school at Kelseyville Unified. Never without a ball in his hand, he coached many a student in the finer points of basketball, baseball, softball and football even into his retirement years.
In 1979 Sham, Pam and Skip welcomed Kristin “Kristie” Lynne and Corey Michael arrived in 1981 to complete the family. They happily raised their family in Lake County.
In 2014, Sham retired from teaching in Kelseyville and in 2017 he and Pam relocated to Roseville and then Granite Bay where he lived until his death.
Sham also volunteered on the Lake County Fair Board for many years as well as many volunteer events while his wife Pam was auditor-controller of Lake County.
Sham is predeceased by his wife, Pam (Watkins) Cochrane; maternal grandparents, Virgil and Ruby Stockton; paternal grandparents, James W. Cochrane II and Louise Cochrane; parents, James W. Cochrane III and Loree Cochrane Buck; brothers, Patrick Stephen Cochrane and Robert Todd Cochrane; and nieces, Jana Cochrane and Dottie Chambers.
Sham is survived by his mother-in-law, Bette Watkins and her husband, Phil Merklin of Eureka; children, Skip and Lorrie Hunter and their sons Treven of Pollock Pines and Tyler of Pioneer, California; Kristie and Adam Stogner and their family, Chiara, Cameron and Cayden of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Corey Cochrane and daughter Arianna and Kristyn Long (Corey’s fiance) and son Jackson of Granite Bay.
He is also survived by his brother, Tim and Marie Cochrane of Ettersburg; sister, Leslie and Dennis Burchfield of Rio Dell; sister-in-law, Cyndee Cochrane of Fortuna; brother-in-law, Ray and Gwynn Watkins of Midway, Utah, and nieces and nephews Laura Cochrane, Rebecca Sheets, Justin Cochrane, Chris Cochrane and Lauren Burchfield.
There are so many others that have adopted Papa Sham as their grandfather, father, uncle and family, we thank each and every one of you for the loving support. He loved us all!
We would also like to thank the staff at UCD Rocklin Infusion Center and UCD Hospice for their outstanding care.
A celebration of Sham’s life will be conducted on Friday, April 15, at Medina’s Watering Hole in Scotts Valley (Lakeport) at 2 p.m. The address is 3272 Scotts Valley Road, Lakeport CA 95453.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
How to resolve AdBlock issue?