Martin Cohos

Martin Cohos' extraordinary life came to an end on January 10, 2025, while on what turned out to be, the last of his many world adventures. Martin was born on March 23, 1935, to Abe and Rose Cohos, immigrants from Romania who had settled in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood. The youngest of four children, Martin grew up in a traditional Jewish household, speaking only Yiddish until starting grade school. At the age of 16, he was accepted to McGill and became the first member of his family to attend university. Martin entered the Faculty of Engineering, but quickly realized that his true passion was architecture – a profession his father could not imagine even existed. Writing Martin's obituary today, while overlooking downtown Calgary, we are impressed at how his legacy lives on in the many towers we see in the dynamic skyline. Martin moved to Calgary in 1958 immediately after graduation. After a summer job in Western Canada, he had fallen love with the mountains and he saw Calgary as the land of opportunity. Cohos Evamy Partners was founded in 1960 in a closet. Over the decades it blossomed into what is now Dialog Design. He continued to lead the trajectory of the firm until 1997 when he retired. Borrowing from the architectural lexicon, this was only one of many angles that fueled his passions. He would often tell his children that it was important to live life in contrast, not as a constant. This credo led him on many adventures and to accomplish many goals, including treks in Nepal, completing a marathon for his 60th birthday, 75 push-ups when he turned 75 (he blew past that goal and did 100), international adventures with his grandsons, and cycling trips with the Buck Point Cycle and Single Malt Club. Scotch factored in many of his life events. He was always interested and interesting. He spoke softly and deliberately, his blue eyes always twinkling, and everyone would lean in to hear his perspective about any number of a broad range of topics. The best seat at any dinner party was beside Martin. He was a modern pied piper who always looked forward and always had his list of current goals. He collected people throughout his life, no matter where he was, leaving everyone with their own special Marty memory. Giving back to the community was essential to his values and beliefs. Countless causes piqued his interest over his lifetime. He was so proud of his 30-year full-time volunteer gig, which he called his "post-professional career." Sometimes it was the project and sometimes it was people; no matter what, he jumped in with both feet. His legacy lives on at SAIT, Heritage Park, Temple B'Nai Tikvah, and many other projects in Calgary and beyond. Some of the other organizations he advised include The Banff Centre, The Glenbow Museum, Pier 21 in Halifax, and the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre (now Luna). Martin received many accolades in recognition of his accomplishments and philanthropic contributions. Yet, he described himself as the son of an immigrant tailor; an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. Surprisingly, for an architect and to the amusement of many, he could not pronounce the word "parallel." Martin's sense of adventure, passion for his beliefs, and his humorous and mischievous spirit will be remembered by all who knew him. He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Elizabeth and her son, Josh; and his children, Peter (Kim) and their sons, Ben (Alix) and Stephen (Janelle); Elizabeth (Lorne) and their sons, Zac and Seth; and Tamara (Mike) and her sons, Bram and Ari. He also leaves behind four great-granddaughters, Riley, Quinn, Levi and Taya; as well as his former wife, Gertrude Cohos, the mother of his children. Martin will also be deeply missed by his sister, Phyllis Cohos. The details of a Celebration of Life will be forthcoming.