Obituary of Phyllis Cohen

Phyllis Cohen died Sunday July 22, leaving a legacy of three incredible daughters and son-in-laws; Sari, Deborah and Alan, Susan and Matthew, five grandchildren, Benjamin, Rachel, Rebecca, Max and Elijah, and husband Alan, who was her full partner in life and in living. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Phyllis got her undergraduate teacher’s BA certificate there, met Alan and moved to London Ontario in 1951. She got her MA in Education at Western in 1981. The family came ahead of everything and that everything was a LOT. She was always there for Alan and the girls. Racing home from meetings to prepare dinner, arranging birthday parties and cat-shaped cakes, ALWAYS putting the family first. She made parenting and keeping home a place of love, nurturing and stimulative learning her ever present top priority. But behind the family, what a life for this exceptional woman. Phyllis had an unbelievable breadth and depth of involvement. She was an active partner in Young Canada, the well known children’s clothing and toy operations which was sold in 1987. Phyllis was a partner with Alan in Canadian Social Analysts Limited handling all the business and family finances and assisting in many consultations in the not-for profit sector in Canada, Eastern Europe and Central Asia including Russia, Kazakhstan and Slovakia. Her extensive community involvement in the not-for-profit, arts and health care sectors including: Advisory Committee, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of Western Ontario (1994- to present), immediate past president Museum London and instigator of the "Cohen Exploration Project" at the Fine Arts Department at UWO. Phyllis was Board Member, CCAC, Founding Executive Board Member Ontario Association of CCAC’s, Board of Directors, Madame Vanier Children’s Services, Founding President Volunteer Bureau of London, Board of Directors United Way of Greater London, Senator, UWO, Board of Directors Thames Valley District Health Council, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation, plus active participation in many more organizations and activities. Arts transformed Phyllis’s world and with the assistance of Matthew Teitelbaum and a host of artists and professionals she became an art collector with a constantly expanding knowledge of how to better understand the challenges inherent in the world of art and ideas. Special thanks to the great team at CCAC London and in particular to Pauline and PJ. Funeral Service will be held at the LOGAN FUNERAL HOME (371 Dundas Street, London, ON) on Tuesday July 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Interment in Restmount Cemetery. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Museum London or the the Fine Arts Department at UWO Online condolences can be expressed at www.loganfh.ca Services: Service Date Tuesday, July 24, 2012