Deceased August 17, 2018

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In Memory

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Steve Cohen

On September 29, 2018, almost six weeks after Steve passed away on August 17, family and friends gathered at his home in Washington, D.C., to remember a man described in their tributes as unassumingly brilliant, unfailingly generous, quiet and impassioned, with a playful sense of humor; a man who loved musical theater, opera, Cheerios, high-tech gadgets, giving gifts to others and, above all, his wife, children and stepchildren; a man who did not want to die of pancreatic cancer, but who did not fear death; a man grateful for the opportunities that he had been given and for the engaged life he had lived. I was privileged to attend and here are snippets from those tributes about the many roles Steve played, touching the lives of thousands.

Cheerleader: My first memory of Steve, still vivid, is from the first home football game freshman year. He jumped out of the stands with a megaphone and yelled with his hallmark sense of humor: ‘What’s the best small liberal arts college in Western Massachusetts? ... Give me an A … Give me an M …’” 

Political Activist: Steve’s son Max reminded us that Steve did more than lead rallies against the war in Vietnam, for Eugene McCarthy and against apartheid. He led the successful campaign to allow female guests to stay in our dorm rooms overnight.

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Steve Cohen, teaching

Teacher: Voted Teacher of the Year his first year at Georgetown Law, Steve taught some 15,000 students from at least 80 countries and 50 states. According to just one of many student tributes, “His line-by-line review of student papers was the single best writing exercise I’ve ever done. All courses at Georgetown should be taught like this. Hands down, the best course I ever had.”  

Mentor: According to a junior colleague, “His was a special type of mentorship. When I joined the faculty, Steve came to my office almost every day to make sure I knew I was supported and part of the community.”

Writer: “For someone who claimed he was ‘not a real writer,’” said Steve’s son Max, “Steve wrote more than 100 articles and op-eds for The New Republic, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times and more.”  

Friend: “There is no more loyal, devoted, caring friend than Stephen,” said Harold Ickes Jr., a friend for more than 50 years. “He checked in on us on a regular basis. Whether we needed checking in on or not, he sent us notes and articles of interest. We always knew that we could call him at any hour of the day or night.”  

And, as our classmate and his good friend Bill Wang ’67 said in an email, speaking for all who knew Steve, “His passing leaves an immense void.”

Steve is survived by his wife, Laura Sager; his children, Samara Neely-Cohen and Maxwell Neely-Cohen; his stepchildren, Jessica Sager and Matthew Sager; and Jessica’s daughter, Sophia Pandya.

James Levine ’67