Building the Dream A Tale of Tenacity STILL CHASING DREAMS at 71 years young, Cary resident Barbara Ocain has been through more than most. After surviving two lightning strikes, a breast cancer diagnosis, and an ill-timed hip replacement, Ocain was encouraged to enjoy a simpler, slower life surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Clearly, they didn’t know who they were dealing with. “Don’t let your age or your career choices get in the way. If you want something, go for it,” said Ocain. “Here I am at this point in my life when people say I should be slowing down, but I feel like I’m just getting revved up!” Originally from Montgomery, AL, Ocain attended undergraduate school at Emory University and graduate school at Georgia State University. After receiving degrees in school psychology, Ocain attended law school at the University of Denver and spent a summer taking specialized law courses at the invitation of Harvard Law School. Following marriage and kids, Ocain and her family moved back to Alabama before transferring to the Raleigh area in 1998. “We knew about Cary. We’d done the research and we knew how great it was,” said Ocain. “That was the only place that we wanted to live. The kids went to high school and local colleges, and they’re still here, married with kids of their own.” Ocain planned on retiring 10 years ago, but was offered a dream job as an attorney for SAP, a huge global software company. The change in pace, which included international travel, inspired her to take out a new lease on life. “It’s been an interesting career, kind of a patchwork. I get to travel globally, and it’s in-
fluenced my style of home. I love the Scandinavian homes, their simplicity, their clean lines.” Ocain, who already owned a small place in Pine Knoll shores, NC, found the perfect example of her IKEA-inspired dream home while browsing Pinterest. Funnily enough, the house (located in Toronto) actually be-
WRITTEN BY DENA DAW PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
longed to the neighbor of her manager at the time. Despite a recent battle with breast cancer, Ocain — who had zero experience building and designing a home — decided to make her dream a reality. “We needed more room for kids and grandkids, and the lot next to me was a va-
Barbara Ocain holds architect Gordon Hall's rendering of her future dream home. 42 AUGUST 2022
