Obituaries

Claire Stollman Cohon
April 8, 1930 – August 2, 2019

Claire S. Cohon was a generous, outspoken, and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend; a teacher and a philanthropist. She formed long-lasting friendships with people in every walk of life and extended her hospitality widely. She died at home, and is survived by husband, Rabbi Baruch Cohon, children Rachel Cohon, Deborah Boyer, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon, and Jonathan Cohon, and six grandchildren.

Claire was born to Louis and Dora Stollman in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1930. The Great Depression hit, and by age four she was operating the cash register in her parents’ struggling restaurant. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA in theater arts where she met Barry, and they married in 1950. While raising her four children she taught drama to teens at the JCC, ran a summer day camp, and then became a teacher at Cienega Elementary in LAUSD. At age 45 she earned a master’s degree in elementary education. She taught until age 72. She and Rabbi Baruch Cohon founded two charities together. She was creative, clever, independent-minded, supportive of freinds and strangers in need, and deeply devoted to family.

Serevices are at 10 a.m. August 5 at Hillside Memorial Park.