Obituary of Sandra Cohen

Niskayuna, New York Sandra Cohen, beloved wife of Stan, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt, passed away in Schenectady on May 24 after a brief illness. Sandy was born in Kingston, NY on August 8, 1933. She married Stan, the love of her life, on July 14, 1963 and lived in Schenectady and Boca Raton, FL. She was the mother of Jill (Portland, OR), Laurie (Nottingham, England) and Steven (Boston, MA). She attended Mount Holyoke College where she earned a BA in history. Sandy was a bright, beautiful, and funny woman who touched the lives of everyone she met. She had friends everywhere – people she and Stan met on bike trips and at bridge clubs, her children’s and grandchildren’s friends, her neighbors in Schenectady and Florida. She loved movies, theatre, books, music, and the New York Times, which she read daily from cover to cover. She was passionate and articulate and loved discussing politics, books and the state of the world. Sandy was interested in everyone she met. She was a rare person who took the time to really listen. Her home was filled with friends, laughter, conversation and ideas. In addition to Stan, Sandy treasured her relationship with her children – Steven Cohen (Darlene Sheehan) of Newton, MA; Laurie Cohen (Ed Myers) of Nottingham, England; and Jill Burnette (Eric) of Portland, OR , nine grandchildren (Claire, Peter and Tony Baum of Portland, OR; Hannah, Ben and Izzi Myers of Nottingham, England and Caroline, Natalie and William Cohen of Newton, MA) and one great-granddaughter (Grace Styles, Nottingham). She had a close relationship with each of her grandchildren and took the time to really get to know them as individuals. They visited her from every corner of the world, filled her attic with their books and sports trophies, came to dinner and stayed for a week. Sandy was an avid athlete and traveler. She and Stan skied all over the world, cycled through India, and rode camels in Egypt. They loved sports, the outdoors, and going to the gym together. Sandy had the rare gifts of intelligence, open-mindedness and deep compassion. She was wife, mom, grandma, champion, and friend to those lucky enough to have known her. She spoke her mind and listened when we spoke ours. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held at Temple Gates of Heaven, 852 Ashmore Ave., Schenectady at 1 pm on Tuesday, May 31. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the charity of your choice.