Milton R. Cohen, 93, recently of Queens, NY, died quietly with family by his side on January 18, 2024.
The son of Adolph and Rose Cohen, he was born May 26, 1930, in Hartford and grew up above the Madison Avenue Market on Kibbe Street. He attended Hartford Public High School and earned degrees at Syracuse University and the University of Michigan.
In 1953, he was drafted by the US Army and he served 3 years; he would later say that those were some of his happiest years. Afterward, he began a 40-year career in teaching, mostly English at Amity High School in Woodbridge CT, where he advised clubs, tutored hundreds of students, organized school trips to England to learn about Shakespeare, and brought in guest speakers (Liza Minelli being one).
He taught thousands of students, with some later having their own children also taught by him. Milton loved teaching English and made sure everyone all the time spoke and wrote it properly. During this time, he was also the manager of the New Haven Lawn Club, enjoying their frequent noteworthy guests.
After retiring from teaching, he moved to New Haven’s Wooster Square neighborhood and volunteered at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and Gateway Community College, until moving to Cheshire to be closer to his daughter’s family, and he became a member of Temple Beth David.
He lived his last years in Queens, close to his son’s family. As a lover of movies and Broadway musicals, he often went to NYC for live theater and speaking events. He’s performed in New Haven area productions of “Guys and Dolls”, “Arsenic and Old Lace”, “The Pajama Game”, and “Damn Yankees”.
In 2000, he earned a part in the joint Los Angeles Cornerstone Theater and Long Wharf Theater’s “The Good Person of New Haven.”
He was a very devoted father and grandfather. He shared his love of theater, movies, and travel. He visited many countries and often included his children and grandchildren whenever possible for adventures around the USA, Europe, Australia, and very often New York City. He was a voracious reader, mostly of fiction and memoirs, with Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” being his favorite novel.
Milton will be remembered by many as a favorite teacher who was always interested in his students’ welfare and activities; he could be a bit headstrong sometimes, but he always meant well.
He is survived by his children Karen Korittke and Stephen (Barbara Hswe) Cohen, and grandchildren Samantha and Jenna Korittke, and Sophie Cohen. He was predeceased by his siblings: Mildred Levenson, Jerry Cohen, and Beatrice Rabitz. He was devoted to his children, his nieces and nephews, and a clutch of close friends across 3 continents.
A private service will take place in the Spring.
Originally a paid obituary post in the New Haven Register