Civil rights activist always sought ‘the right path’ for others
Civil rights have been at the forefront of the national conversation in recent months. For Allan Cohen, they were at the forefront of his life for most of his 93 years.
Before he died of COVID19 on July 31, the Squirrel Hill native fought injustice wherever he saw it — and taught his family to do the same.
As a young man, he traveled to Mississippi to help Black voters register at the height of the civil rights movement, often requiring police protection along the way. He was also in Washington, D.C., to hear Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech during the March on Washington in 1963.
As a father of two, Mr. Cohen brought his children to Vietnam War protests. And even into his 70s and 80s, he spoke out loudly against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, often putting himself at odds with other Jews.
“He was right. He was 100% spot on with all of these things,” said Norman Cohen, one of Allan’s sons. “He’s always proven right. It’s always the right path. He’s just one of those people.”
Allan Cohen’s early years featured a foundational upbringing in Squirrel Hill. Many of his friends from elementary, middle and high school remained in his life for decades.
After graduating from Taylor Allderdice High School, he attended the University of Pittsburgh for both his undergraduate and law degrees. Mr. Cohen also served in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, although he was never deployed overseas.
A long career as a personal injury attorney followed, one in which he naturally relished fights for people who he felt deserved better.
“For my dad, it wasn’t about making money,” Norman Cohen said. “It was about helping the underdog. That’s what he was, always helping the underdog. I can still remember some of the cases he did when he was younger. He took care of a lot of the union workers and things such as that.”
Beyond those many pursuits, Mr. Cohen was a dedicated husband and family man. He and his wife, Lois, were married for nearly 66 years and spent more than a half-century living in the same Beechwood Boulevard home in Squirrel Hill. He liked to be “babied” by his wife, and she loved to care for him, making them a perfect match, Norman Cohen said.
Once sons Norman and Lawrence arrived, Friday night dinners before the Jewish Sabbath became a staple, as did ambitious trips to national parks and even Alaska in the mid1970s, before the state was a popular tourist destination.
One family favorite adventure was a rafting trip along the Colorado River when Allan Cohen was in his 60s and famously left the boat to plunge into what rafters call swimming rapids.
In his later years, Mr. Cohen passed his time by sitting in on courses at Pitt with his younger brother, Mike, gardening and taking his in-laws out to eat when it became more difficult for them to get around.
He and Lois sold their home last year to move into the Weinberg Terrace assisted-living facility in Squirrel Hill. They loved its abundant social interaction with friends, giving them little reason to idle in their room.
That all changed once the coronavirus pandemic began. They spent most of their time isolated until they became ill with the virus in July.
Mr. Cohen was quickly hospitalized after waking up with a runny nose one morning. It marked the first time he had seen Norman in four months. A brief recovery about a week later led to a transfer to Vincentian Home in McCandless, but that move proved to be short-lived. He was soon hospitalized again and died the following week, alone.
Lois Cohen, 87, has since recovered and was to return to Weinberg Terrace after her own stint at Vincentian, but she was not able to attend her husband’s graveside service. The couple would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary last Wednesday.
Allan Cohen’s legacy isn’t going anywhere in death, though. Norman Cohen insists it will live on, particularly through his eight grandchildren who adored him and take the way he lived his life to heart.
“What I admire most about my grandpa is his integrity and how he always made things light and fun,” Mr. Cohen’s granddaughter, Molly, said. “When things in the world are unjust, Grandpa always speaks up and does what he can to make a difference.”
In addition to his wife and two sons, Mr. Cohen is survived by eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.