Beatrice Edith Agnes Musante Cochran, daughter of the late Enez Porcella Musante and John Musante died peacefully at the age of 96. She was predeceased by her former husband, Floyd H. Cochran, her daughter, Virginia Jansen, son-in-law, Nick Nikola, sister, Marie Boucher, brothers, Thomas and Leo Musante and lifelong friend and travel companion, Dora Hulse. A longtime resident of Fairfield, she is survived by her son, Mark Cochran, daughters, Carol Nikola and Susan Cascio (Mark); godson, Richard Jansen; her sister, Ines Saucier, brother, Raymond Musante and sister-in-law, Gladys Musante, along with 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 9 great-great-grandchildren and countless nieces and nephews. Bea worked as a manufacturing assembler her entire career. Most recently, she worked at General Electric for over 40 years, where she also served as a union stewart, retiring at age 80. In 1957, while working at Sikorsky Aircraft, she was a member of the team that built the first presidential helicopter for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She was a devout Catholic and longtime member of Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Fairfield, where she sang in the choir for 18 years, performing twice for Pope John Paul II, once in Italy and once in Shea Stadium. Bea was known best for her love of family, history and travel. Born in Bridgeport, she was extremely proud of the Bridgeport's manufacturing contributions to WWII and felt strongly that Bridgeport should have its own WWII museum. She was a member of the USO and help to build the Corsair airplanes, which were credited with changing the tide of the war. She was a strong, spirited, adventurous soul, a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, a loyal friend, and a genuine force of nature. All of us fortunate enough to know her will miss her deeply. Funeral services will be held Monday at 12:00p.m., meeting directly in Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 545 Stratfield Road, Fairfield, with a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery, Stratford. Friends may call Sunday from 3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m., in the Redgate – Hennessy Funeral Home, Main Street and Gorham Place, Trumbull. Please follow the Covid guidelines and masks are required at the funeral home, church and cemetery. Those who so desire may make contributions in her memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 or to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, P.O. Box 96105, Washington, DC 20090-6105. To send online condolences please visit www.redgatehennessy.com

Wounded Warrior Project
PO Box 758817, Topeka KS 66675
Tel: 1-877-832-6997
Web: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
P.O. Box 96105, Washington DC 20090-6105
Tel: 1-800-486-8844
Web: https://www.ifcj.org/ways-to-give/donate-by-mail-or-phone/