Obituary for Nelson I. Cohen
Nelson I. "Nic" Cohen passed away at home from natural causes in Flying Hills, Reading, Pennsylvania on November 20, 2021 at the age of 81. Nic was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 15, 1940.
was the son of Samuel B. and Sophie G. Cohen, and is survived by his brother Bruce A. Cohen (widower of Sharyn M. Cohen) of Reading, PA; nephew Seth G. Cohen of Dillon, CO; niece Jacqueline Cohen Shaye (Daniel Shaye and grand nephew Gabriel) of Oak Park, Il; step-brother Bernard Fromm (Barbara) of Palm Desert, CA; step-sister Judy Lappen (Gilbert) of Bethlehem, PA; step-sister Penni Fromm (Mark Rosenfeld) of Boca Raton, FL; many step-nieces, step-nephews, step-grand nieces and step-grand nephews; and Bernadene Burdick, Nic's housemate of many years and her daughter Laura Bradley (Paul), Honeybrook, PA.
Sam and Sophie Cohen moved from Brooklyn to Reading in 1944 when Nic was 4 to launch Sam's knitting and apparel manufacturing business, Astor Knitting Mills, in Reading to knit fabric for and manufacture, under a wartime contract with the U.S. Navy, men's wool swim trunks. The following year, Nic's younger brother Bruce was born, and Nic attended pre-school at Miss Nichols' Little People's School. Classes in the Reading School System followed. Nic graduated from Reading Senior High School in 1958 and headed to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in accounting and minored in Insurance. While at Penn, Nic was a staff photographer for the campus newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian, and for three years was the Photo Editor of the Penn yearbook, The Record.
Following graduation from Penn in 1962, he returned to Reading and began a fifty-six-year career in the family business that had transitioned to manufacturing and retailing ladies' swimwear. He fulfilled his military obligation by enlisting for six years of reserve duty in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard as a photographer. In his spare time, Nic began flying lessons that resulted in his earning a Private Pilot's license and influencing his brother Bruce to take up flying and ultimately become a pilot in the PA Air National Guard following his college years. Nic's work at Astor grew to his becoming, in later years as co-owner and co-CEO with Bruce, the Chief Financial Officer who handled sales projections, projections for raw material purchases, relationships with accountants and lenders, all insurance matters, equipment purchases, building maintenance, and many other responsibilities for businesses operating in three different states and seven different corporations.
After returning home from USAF Basic Military Training, Nic joined Reading's Flying Dutchman Ski Club, a great skiing and social organization of eight hundred members during the early 1970's. Nic rose to become club president and later ascended to service at the national level as Secretary/Treasurer of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in which he ultimately became a trustee emeritus. Nic served U.S. Skiing as an on-the-snow official at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid New York and again at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. At Sarajevo, Nic was thanked formally for "Being a Star of the U.S. Ski Team" that is a subsidiary of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. While serving on the Board of U.S. Skiing, Nic specialized in insurance coverage and insurance issues involving ski racing, and in 1988 was U.S. Skiing's representative to the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Due to Nic's intense involvement in skiing, Nic's brother Bruce, his wife Sharyn, and their children, Nic's nephew, Seth, and niece, Jackie, became active skiers. Following Seth's college years at University of Rochester, Rochester, New York where both he and Jackie graduated and he was president of the campus ski club, he moved west to ski country in the Rocky Mountains, and settled in Summit County, Colorado.
Nic began committing himself in the mid 1970's to another all-consuming hobby/pastime, power boating on the Chesapeake Bay. Over the course of seventeen years on the water, Nic and Bruce+Sharyn alternated weekends on each of three successive powerboats equipped with full living quarters. Seth and Jackie literally grew up on boats.
As Nic approached retirement years, he transferred his organizational, managerial, financial, equipment, building maintenance and leadership skills to extensive volunteer work at his lifetime synagogue, Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom in Wyomissing, PA. He served as House Committee chair, Finance Committee member, Executive Committee member, congregational president for three consecutive years, and raised the bar for selfless commitment by highly-skilled volunteers who contribute immeasurable hours to their house of worship.
Lastly, and without a doubt, Nic took great joy in caring for and playing with the dogs that he shared affection for with Bernadene during the last quarter century: Willy - a Pekingese, General - an American Bulldog, Roxy - another American Bulldog, and Probably Louie - the nine-week-old, all-white American Bulldog puppy that Nic fell in love with in photos but sadly didn't quite get to meet.
May Nic Cohen rest in peace, and may the memory of his steadfast commitment to other people and good work inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
Nic Cohen's Funeral Service is on Wednesday, November 24th 11:00 AM at Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, 555 Warwick Dr., Wyomissing, PA 19610, with the Service to be streamed on YouTube.com - search there for "Temple Oheb Sholom", and for the live Service at 11 AM click the small window on the Temple's YouTube page labeled "Live". A recording of Nic's Service will remain on YouTube.
was the son of Samuel B. and Sophie G. Cohen, and is survived by his brother Bruce A. Cohen (widower of Sharyn M. Cohen) of Reading, PA; nephew Seth G. Cohen of Dillon, CO; niece Jacqueline Cohen Shaye (Daniel Shaye and grand nephew Gabriel) of Oak Park, Il; step-brother Bernard Fromm (Barbara) of Palm Desert, CA; step-sister Judy Lappen (Gilbert) of Bethlehem, PA; step-sister Penni Fromm (Mark Rosenfeld) of Boca Raton, FL; many step-nieces, step-nephews, step-grand nieces and step-grand nephews; and Bernadene Burdick, Nic's housemate of many years and her daughter Laura Bradley (Paul), Honeybrook, PA.
Sam and Sophie Cohen moved from Brooklyn to Reading in 1944 when Nic was 4 to launch Sam's knitting and apparel manufacturing business, Astor Knitting Mills, in Reading to knit fabric for and manufacture, under a wartime contract with the U.S. Navy, men's wool swim trunks. The following year, Nic's younger brother Bruce was born, and Nic attended pre-school at Miss Nichols' Little People's School. Classes in the Reading School System followed. Nic graduated from Reading Senior High School in 1958 and headed to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in accounting and minored in Insurance. While at Penn, Nic was a staff photographer for the campus newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian, and for three years was the Photo Editor of the Penn yearbook, The Record.
Following graduation from Penn in 1962, he returned to Reading and began a fifty-six-year career in the family business that had transitioned to manufacturing and retailing ladies' swimwear. He fulfilled his military obligation by enlisting for six years of reserve duty in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard as a photographer. In his spare time, Nic began flying lessons that resulted in his earning a Private Pilot's license and influencing his brother Bruce to take up flying and ultimately become a pilot in the PA Air National Guard following his college years. Nic's work at Astor grew to his becoming, in later years as co-owner and co-CEO with Bruce, the Chief Financial Officer who handled sales projections, projections for raw material purchases, relationships with accountants and lenders, all insurance matters, equipment purchases, building maintenance, and many other responsibilities for businesses operating in three different states and seven different corporations.
After returning home from USAF Basic Military Training, Nic joined Reading's Flying Dutchman Ski Club, a great skiing and social organization of eight hundred members during the early 1970's. Nic rose to become club president and later ascended to service at the national level as Secretary/Treasurer of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in which he ultimately became a trustee emeritus. Nic served U.S. Skiing as an on-the-snow official at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid New York and again at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. At Sarajevo, Nic was thanked formally for "Being a Star of the U.S. Ski Team" that is a subsidiary of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. While serving on the Board of U.S. Skiing, Nic specialized in insurance coverage and insurance issues involving ski racing, and in 1988 was U.S. Skiing's representative to the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Due to Nic's intense involvement in skiing, Nic's brother Bruce, his wife Sharyn, and their children, Nic's nephew, Seth, and niece, Jackie, became active skiers. Following Seth's college years at University of Rochester, Rochester, New York where both he and Jackie graduated and he was president of the campus ski club, he moved west to ski country in the Rocky Mountains, and settled in Summit County, Colorado.
Nic began committing himself in the mid 1970's to another all-consuming hobby/pastime, power boating on the Chesapeake Bay. Over the course of seventeen years on the water, Nic and Bruce+Sharyn alternated weekends on each of three successive powerboats equipped with full living quarters. Seth and Jackie literally grew up on boats.
As Nic approached retirement years, he transferred his organizational, managerial, financial, equipment, building maintenance and leadership skills to extensive volunteer work at his lifetime synagogue, Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom in Wyomissing, PA. He served as House Committee chair, Finance Committee member, Executive Committee member, congregational president for three consecutive years, and raised the bar for selfless commitment by highly-skilled volunteers who contribute immeasurable hours to their house of worship.
Lastly, and without a doubt, Nic took great joy in caring for and playing with the dogs that he shared affection for with Bernadene during the last quarter century: Willy - a Pekingese, General - an American Bulldog, Roxy - another American Bulldog, and Probably Louie - the nine-week-old, all-white American Bulldog puppy that Nic fell in love with in photos but sadly didn't quite get to meet.
May Nic Cohen rest in peace, and may the memory of his steadfast commitment to other people and good work inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
Nic Cohen's Funeral Service is on Wednesday, November 24th 11:00 AM at Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom, 555 Warwick Dr., Wyomissing, PA 19610, with the Service to be streamed on YouTube.com - search there for "Temple Oheb Sholom", and for the live Service at 11 AM click the small window on the Temple's YouTube page labeled "Live". A recording of Nic's Service will remain on YouTube.