Sadly, in the period spanning the final months of 2021 and the first months of 2022, we lost several people who made a difference in our communities. We honor their memories here. May they rest in eternal peace.

Maxwell Cohen 1927-2021

Born in Brooklyn in 1927, Maxwell “Mickey” Cohen developed a passion for wildlife at a young age, and that passion would see him discovering nature in lands across the globe. Cohen served as an aircraft welder who once custom-designed a double cot for General and Mrs. Douglas MacArthur. Cohen taught at Far Rockaway and Beach Channel High Schools, where he served as Assistant Principal and Chair of the school’s Science and Oceanography department. He would later go on to teach at the college level, with courses at the New School for Social Research and Southampton College. Mickey lived in the Rockaways but in our area was known as a savior of the Ridgewood Reservoir. He served as the wetlands delineator during the effort to have the reservoir declared an official New York State wetland, assuring its preservation. Mickey is survived by his wife, Barbara, children Bradley and Andy, and grandchildren Jackie and Jonathan. In lieu of flowers, those interested in celebrating the life of Mickey Cohen are asked to consider making donation to the American Littoral Society, in Mickey’s memory.