Frederick Steven Cohen, 72, of Lawrenceville passed away February 17, 2021.
He is survived by a sister, Carolyn Goldstein, and a brother, Dr. Sanford Cohen.
Funeral services and burial are Friday, February 19 at 1:3o pm at Ahavath Israel Cemetery on Ridge Avenue, Hamilton Township, NJ.
The graveside service will be available to view via zoom livestream, please see below for details
viewers can only see the livestream and not each other.
When: Friday, Feb 19, 2021 01:30 PM Eastern Time
Topic: FREDERICK COHEN Graveside Funeral Service Livestream
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88929695317
It is with heavy heart that I write this. Fred was a faithful close friend whom I will miss tremendously. He had such a beautiful, private, intelligent, and creative soul. He never forgot a birthday or a special event in the lives of his friends. His artistry was not only evident in his photography, but in the litigation discourse of his legal career. May he now Rest In Peace. My condolences to his family.
Hi Iris, my name is Ryan. I am Fred’s great-nephew on the West Coast. I am close with his brother Stanly in California, and have heard stories about him. I did never meet him, but I was on the phone with my Uncle and told him what you wrote. He asked me to thank you. Stan said what you wrote was beautiful, and appreciates it greatly.
I worked for Fred at the NJ.Department of Human Services. I regret his passing. He was always a gentleman.
Fred, was too nice and honest to forced to survive in the world of New Jersey State Government and politics, but he did. And succeeded very well. That shows the type of person he was. Fred will be missed by the honest and true.
I worked with Fred at the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Fred was a kind man and a gentleman. He never spoke harshly to anyone.
Fred would give you the clothes off his back if he thought you needed them more than he did. Fred’s love of photography was endearing. I had an old, favorite Polaroid photo of me, my mom, and my sister that I had given to Fred to “blow up” for me. What he gave back to me was a beautiful black and white portrait! I gave it to my mother and she cried with joy. My sister passed away three years ago and it is the only photo of the three of us. We cherish it deeply. Fred knew how much we loved that photo and he put his all into making it something beautiful. That was Fred!
I will miss him dearly and remember him always.
Fred was a good friend and taught me a lot when I was a fledgling hearing officer. He also was a great photographer and had a keen sense of humor. Rest In Peace my friend. You are missed by many.
I have been friends with Fred since law school, over 45 years ago, and have maintained a close and meaningful relationship with him all these years. Fred was not only a true professional and compassionate attorney but also someone who was deeply committed to helping all who sought his guidance or assistance. I greatly admired Fred and was fortunate to share many family events and special occasions with him. His passing has meant great sadness for our family but we cherish and fondly remember his kindness, humanity and friendship. My wife Cornelia and I express our sincere condolences to the Cohen family.
I met Fred as a DAG during the 90’s-he was originally my client but then he became my friend. He was smart, witty, caring and never forgot a birthday or special occasion. Like others I will miss him and our frequent conversations about all things.
So sorry to hear of Fred’s passing. He was a kind neighbor and bravely faced his medical condition. We will miss his lovely seasonal gardens and a wave and a smile as he rode by on his bike. May his memory be a blessing to his family and friends.
Fred was a dear friend who was generous , kind and cared deeply about his friends and family . Fred was a phenomenal photographer, loved to read and shared with me a love of old movies . Our last conversation about movies was about 2 weeks ago when we discussed all things Alfred Hitchcock. I will miss my lunch buddy and all our walks around Princeton . Your memory truly is a blessing. Good -bye dear friend .
Joan Tomlin says:
February 19, 2021
I am sadden to learn of Fred’s death he has been a neighbor of mine for several years. He always lent helping hand and was supportive I will truly miss him.
Fred was a dear friend and a respected colleague. We first met in 1998 when I was hired by then Labor Commissioner Mel Gelade to work with Fred in the Department’s Office of Legal and Regulatory Services. Technically, Fred was my supervisor, but he let me know from Day 1; from Minute 1, in fact, that we would be working together as equals. That was Fred’s generosity. He taught me the ropes, he introduced me around. We became fast friends. We worked together every day until I left the Department for another job in 2001, and when I sought to come back to Labor in 2005, Fred did everything in his power to get me back. I have been at Labor ever since. I will always be grateful to Fred for welcoming me so readily into the fold at Labor and then advocating for my return.
While at Labor Fred rose to the position of Assistant Commissioner. After Labor, Fred also served as an Assistant Commissioner with the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Before his work at Labor and DHS, Fred worked at both the New Jersey and New York Attorney General’s Offices. Fred was extremely good at his job. There are countless documents – final administrative decisions, rule proposals, rule adoptions, legal briefs, memos, letters – that he authored, which are proof of that. However, as much as Fred took pride in his work (his writing, in particular), I am sure what he valued as much if not more were the friendships that he made.
Fred loved to read and talk about books. The last conversation that I had with him two weeks before he passed he told me that he had just re-read the Herman Wouk novel, The Winds of War. I knew he loved that book. He had recommended it to me more than a decade earlier and I had read it twice since. Back when he had first recommended it and I told him how much I enjoyed it, he lent me his own copy of Wouk’s follow-up, War and Remembrance. Generosity.
Fred loved movies and we had countless conversations about new movies that he or I had seen the previous weekend, old movies that he loved and he was always trying to convince me to watch.
Fred was a talented photographer. On weekends he would take pictures around Princeton – portraits of people he would see on Palmer Square or on the Princeton Battleground; landscapes, flowers and more. He would bring those pictures into work often and proudly share them with friends. I also know that he had some of those pictures framed and gave them to close friends as gifts on special occasions. Generosity.
Fred was extremely patriotic. He had more than one American flag displayed in his office at Labor. That office has been my office for the past 13 years and I still have those same flags displayed. He contributed regularly to an organization for Jewish American War Veterans.
Fred cared deeply about Israel. He followed all news about Israel religiously (pun intended) and believed strongly in American support for Israel. Whenever the family member of a friend passed away he would donate to an organization for the planting of a tree in memory of the deceased. I plan to do the same in Fred’s memory and encourage others to do the same. I know he would have liked that.
Fred spoke often of his sister and two brothers, one of whom had served in the Marines in his youth. In his home, Fred proudly displayed a framed picture of his brother in uniform. He displayed with equal pride a picture at his law school graduation flanked by his mother and sister. Yes, Fred is survived by his sister Carolyn and his brother Sanford and my deepest condolences to them. He is also survived by a legion of friends and former colleagues. We will miss you, my friend. Rest in peace.
I am saddened to hear of Fred’s passing. I knew Fred through my boss at the Division of Law In the 1990’s. We had many conversations at work when he would call our office. He was always so polite and kind. Sending my condolences to Fred’s family. He was loved by everyone who knew him.
Fred was a dear friend of my daughter, Barbara Allen. He often visited her and then became my friend, as well. I was very saddened to hear the very sad news about your brother, Fred. He visited me in my home and I enjoyed looking at his beautiful photographs in his portfolios. We shared a common history of growing up in Newark and attended the same grammar schools and that we both graduated from Weequahic High School. Fred always sent me his regards and sent me flowers when I was recuperating from an illness. He was always thoughtful and always a gentleman.
We send our deepest condolences to Carolyn and Sanford during this most difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you navigate life without your brother. In Sympathy, Bennie and Andrea
Fred was a kind, principled soul. I benefited from his wise guidance and insight at DHS. I was sorry to hear of his passing. He will be missed.