I am sorry to report that Jack Cohen, a long time musician and teacher whom many of you knew passed away three weeks ago. Jack was a native of the Bronx , a World War II Navy veteran and a Juilliard School graduate. He lived in Elmsford for more than fifty years and was the band director at Roosevelt High School. He gave clarinet, flute, and sax lessons to hundreds of Westchester students over the years. After retiring from Roosevelt, he taught at Lehman College. Jack was also very active as a club date player, performing at weddings (he played at mine) bar mitzvahs and country club dances.
Jack was also a regular member and frequent soloist with the Westchester Pops band, in all of its countywide and local incarnations. He is survived by five children, including Steve Cohen, Director of Clarinet Studies at Northwestern University. He was also the grandfather of nine, at least three of whom are in, or bound for conservatories.
Contributed by Dan Harrison