GRACE COHEN

COHEN--Grace L., (nee Gladstone), passed away on July 30, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was the beloved wife of Israel ("Izzy") Cohen (died 2002) and devoted mother of Ellen and David. Our mother will be remembered as an extraordinarily kind and loving person who devoted her life to nurturing young minds and pursuing her passion for the arts. Grace grew up on the upper west side of Manhattan. She attended Julia Richmond High School, Hunter College and received a Master's degree from Columbia University Teacher's College the New School for Social Research in speech therapy and early education, respectively. She was an accomplished exhibition figure skater often entertaining crowds at Rockefeller Center. Izzy and Grace's early married years were spent in Greenwich Village at their fifth floor walk-up apartment on Perry Street. With children on the horizon, they moved to Brooklyn Heights then Cobble Hill where they painstakingly renovated a former rooming house into a stylish single-family home. Their home became a lively gathering place for friends and family, a celebration of Izzy's Sephardic heritage. Grace spent many hours at Izzy's mother's side mastering the subtleties and magic of Turkish cuisine. Grace became expert at preparing many of the traditional dishes, including borekas, fritadas and yaprikes. As we poignantly remember, it was so much more than marvelous food and welcoming hospitality, everything was an expression of her love. Grace spent most of her professional life as a first grade teacher at PS 130 in Chinatown. In retirement, she connected to her passion for singing and love of cabaret music. She often entertained her number one fan, Izzy, and others at parties, private events and even recorded an album. As Izzy used to say, "we dance until the music stops". We were blessed to have had two extraordinary parents and will lovingly cherish their memory. We would like to imagine that Grace has been reunited with Izzy and are dancing once again.