Our beloved mother, Dorothy Kocher, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 7, 2025.

She was born in the rural town of Port Homer, Ohio, in 1933, the daughter of hardworking immigrants from Eastern Europe. During the Depression, seeking better opportunities, our grandfather moved the family to Cleveland—where Mom would one day meet the love of her life, our father, Kenneth S. Kocher. They married in 1950 and shared nearly 65 beautiful years together, building a life filled with devotion, laughter, and four children.

In 1975, the family relocated to Georgia when Dad's job transferred him. Mom embraced her new home with the same energy she brought to everything. She loved attending her children's baseball games and band concerts, cheering them from the stands. Nothing delighted her more than spending time outdoors—clearing the yard on their five acres of land and tending the bonfires that became a hallmark of family gatherings over the decades.

Mom even explored the world well into her later years, climbing Machu Picchu at the age of 82 and visiting her mother's childhood home in Slovakia. She was never one to sit still; in her quieter moments, she enjoyed cross-stitching, crossword puzzles, reading western novels and listening to classic country music.

When the grandchildren arrived, "Baba" found a new joy. She happily went to school events, and was always ready to babysit. Her holiday meals—especially her cherished heirloom dishes—brought the whole family together and will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed.

Mom was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth, and her siblings Anne, Jolana, and Joe.

She is survived by her younger sister, Helen, who recently turned a young 90 years old. She took great pride in her children—Ken, Kathy, Kris, and Kevin—and their spouses Janice, Carlisle, Gary, and Jenny. She adored her grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Katherine, Kassidy, Sebastian, Nicolas, Cory, Brittany and Christian, and great grandchildren Sybil and Abigail.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 6-8 p.m. at Thomas C. Strickland & Sons Funeral Home, 2460 Highway 21 South, Rincon, GA.

The funeral service will take place on Friday, December 12, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church, 1625 Fort Howard Road, Rincon, GA.

Graveside services will be Friday, December 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Saints Mary & Martha Orthodox Monastery in Wagener, SC.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) or Saints Mary and Martha Orthodox Monastery in Wagener, SC.