Shirley Ruth Cohen

Shirley R. (Weiss) Cohen of Easthampton passed away on Wednesday, January 21, 2025. She was the daughter of the late Morris and Esther (Cohen) Weiss of Portland, Maine.

Shirley worked at Boston University until she and her husband Al moved to Carbondale, Illinois. While Al completed his graduate studies there, she worked on the Southern Illinois University campus. After they moved to the Northampton area she worked at Smith College, enjoying many pleasant years in Hatfield Hall as Administrative Assistant in the Foreign Language Department.

Shirley was active in local organizations; she was a member of the Congregation B'nai Israel Sisterhood in Northampton as well as a president of the Northampton-Amherst Chapter of Hadassah and served as an active board member for over 40 years. She enjoyed reading and was a member of the Sisterhood book club as well as serving on the Library Committee at Lathrop in Easthampton. An enthusiastic bridge player, she was grateful for the many long-lasting friendships in various bridge groups.

Her family was the most important thing in her life. She loved doing things with her children and grandchildren, especially the family vacations at "Grandma's beach house".

She is predeceased by her husband of 67 years, Alvin I. Cohen. She leaves three daughters: Judith Danna (Joseph) of Hanover, NH, Lisa Cohen (Bernard Smith) of Saratoga Springs, NY, and Sharon Priven (Mark) of Albany, CA, as well as seven grandchildren - David (Katie Beth), Morgan, Mishael (Hannah), Elisheva (Tzvi), Gavriel, Samuel (Danielle), and Miriam (Anna), and one great-grandson, Alvin, as well as her niece and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Nathan and his wife Dorothy (Lerman).

The funeral will be held on Thursday, January 29, at 11 am at Congregation B'nai Israel in Northampton. Burial will be immediately following at the Congregation B'nai Israel Cemetery. Ascher-Zimmerman Funeral Home in Springfield is handling arrangements.

The family welcomes the community for a shiva visit the afternoon and evening following the funeral.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, MA.