Robert E. COHN

COHN, Robert E.


Robert E. (Bud) Cohn, 88, beloved husband of Sherry Banks-Cohn, of Bloomfield, died suddenly Saturday, (November 10, 2012), at Hartford Hospital. Born in Springfield, MA, the son of the late Frederic and Esther (Berkman) Cohn, he made his home in Bloomfield for over 60 years. After attending Classical High School in Springfield, he joined the Army Air Forces during World War II. Following his service, he attended West Point and then graduated from Amherst College with the assistance of the GI Bill. With an eye toward social justice, he entered Columbia Law School. As a young lawyer at the Hartford firm of Pelgrift, Dodd, Blumenfeld & Nair, he assisted Thomas Dodd in reparation cases following the Nuremberg Trials. Bud co-founded the law office Cohn & Birnbaum, PC, in 1976, working there until his retirement in 1994. He combined a broad understanding of the law with a terrific business sense, but the feature that most marked his work as an attorney was his unceasing compassion. These qualities made him not only a trusted advisor to his clients, but an esteemed mentor to the young lawyers in his firm. He served for many years as chairman of the board of the Hebrew Home and Hospital. He was on the board of directors of Guida-Seibert Dairy up until its sale in 2012. Bud was also chairman of the board of Mt. Sinai Hospital and was instrumental in facilitating its merger with St. Francis Hospital. Bud loved outdoor activities, especially skiing in his beloved second home of Stowe, VT—a pursuit he reluctantly abandoned only two years ago, at age 86. He also enjoyed tennis and sailing, and late in life became an avid golfer, playing as often as possible with a treasured group of friends. He also enjoyed a good game of bridge and a day at the race track, where he would occasionally pick a winning horse. In his retirement, Bud spent much of his time visiting the world's great destinations with his wife; when he'd return, he'd relive the experience through the beautiful landscapes and street scenes he painted. He reveled in the time spent with his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his son Frederic Cohn and his partner Robert Bowe of New York, NY; his son William Cohn and his wife Susan Dahl of Lexington, MA; his son Jonathan Cohn and his wife Lynda of Farmington; his stepdaughter Wendy Steiner and her husband Steven Schwartz of New York, NY; his stepson Bradford Steiner and his wife Karin Raye of Newton, MA; and his grandchildren Maxwell, Charlotte, Emma, Benjamin, Eric, Julia, Zachary and Samuel. He was predeceased by his brother, Herbert Cohn, a fighter pilot who was lost at sea during the North African campaign in World War II.
The funeral will be held Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. The family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com. Burial will be private. Well-wishers may visit the family at Bud's home immediately following the funeral, until 8 p.m.