As C&C transitions its former model of local chapters into regional Action Teams, we acknowledge Fred Cohen, a chapter founder and president, whose devotion helped pave the path to New Jersey’s unstoppable momentum.
Fred Cohen, front right, with Barbara Coombs Lee and other friends and family
Fred became involved in the movement after watching his friend Max die a horrendous death from throat cancer. Fred went into detail of that suffering when being interviewed on the radio, speaking to groups or testifying at hearings.
A successful engineer, entrepreneur and Korean War vet, Fred kept busy even in retirement on a variety of projects and became dedicated to the end-of-life options movement, lobbying state legislators on behalf of the earliest laws that would allow people to control how and when they died.
Always physically active, he played singles tennis into his mid seventies until he suffered a rare and sudden spinal event which left him wheelchair bound and in constant pain for the last eight years of his life. He still pressed on with great zeal, however, and when asked how he was doing in these last years, the answer was always the same: “I’m rolling along.” He died at the age of 83, unable to recover from the last of the numerous life-threatening health events he suffered in his final years.
Fred is fondly remembered and missed, and his legacy as a leader in the movement continues to grow.
Learn how to become involved in an Action Team in your area.
Mail contributions directly to:
Compassion & Choices Gift Processing Center
PO Box 485
Etna, NH 03750
Compassion & Choices is a 501 C3 organization. Federal tax number: 84-1328829
