Monday evening, September 19th, a large gathering of family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and - of course, a great many bridge players - met for a memorial service honoring Jonathan Cohen.
Wonderful stories were shared by Jonathan's brother Harlan, colleagues of Jonathan's from the University of Minnesota, neighbors.... And Charlie Nauen, long time friend and bridge partner, expressed thoughts about Jonathan that were moving, complimentary - and funny.
It still remains difficult to know that Jonathan will no longer be giving the rest of us a tough time at the table, nor attempting to share his baggie full of vegetables and rotting fruit to others. Still, sharing memories of Jono with one another was comforting. Tears - and smiles - were clearly both in evidence.
As the Minnesota bridge world celebrates years of friendship and competition with Jonathan, we also send our deep condolences to his family; wife Barbara, daughter Ilana and her husband Craig, grandchildren Nolan and Clara and others.
As a final remembrance, we will share thoughts from Dave Anderson. Though it has been many years since Dave has lived in the Twin Cities - no one who knew Jonathan could forget him.
Jonathan was a 30+ year participant in Light Entertainment and its lunch time Fridays precursor.
He was to many the stereotype of a perfect nerd. He would rarely use a 50 cent word when a $5 hypersyllable was available. And he had an enormous supply of them. He grew up in New York City the son of a Superior Court judge and brother of an eventually high ranking foreign service officer.
Jonathan dressed like a flood victim and always wore a plastic shirt pocket protectors which held four pens of different colors, to every bridge game and tournament. At two session events he brought plastic bags full of carrots, celery, tomato and stuff that looked suspiciously like what the rest of us sprayed on our lawns.
He had a Ph.D. in chemistry and four years of post doc research at a Canadian University, prided himself in always driving slowly in the left lane, drove down entrance ramps and slowed or stopped at their end to assess the best time to merge and was a polymath of the performing arts. He would refuse any and all bridge events whenever there was a noted opera, symphony, play or ballet available.
Despite being the worst and most dangerous driver I've ever known, he would put chains on his tiny Hondas and drive to high brow venues on Minnesota winter nights when even the snowplow drivers wept.
He was as socially inept as his brother the state department counsel was ept.
I loved him.
We all had nicknames back in the day. Given Jonathan’s taste in entertainment, and soft spoken nature, I hung Cohen the Barbarian on him. I knew he liked it, even though he would never admit it.
I probably won 10-15% of the master points I earned in my 17 years in Minnesota playing with him. More often than anyone but Nancy. He had an eager willingness to learn all the conventions he could and even new systems. He never lost his composure in competition. He was a delight to play with.
He played so slowly and carefully he probably drove 100 people away from the game. Having finished most hands two or three minutes after the time limit, he would take laborious notes, in four colors, with his pens.
He quickly came to appreciate the politics, quality of life, customs and mores of Minnesota. In mid life he joined a hockey league, had the bruises to prove it, and took up cross country skiing. On the hideously coldest days, he would often come out to our house on Lake Minnewashta to ski the 20 ft. slope and 300 ft. run down to and out onto the lake, so he'd have a place to come into and warm up.
After this tough guy choice of the additional hobbies, partner Peg Waller amended his nickname, more accurately, to Jono. Maybe he got the taste for those manners of punishment from his decade in Canada.
Jonathan developed in a few short years a curious accent; the Bronx and Brooklyn of course, a twinge of Canadian from his decade there, and a Minnesota edge.
The year I wrote the MGSC club newsletter I appointed him copy editor, to correct my grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice and subject matter. But only after it was published and distributed. He loved the job carefully editing every issue. I often published his corrections in subsequent issues.
If he were writing this he would bid himself a fond adieu and bon voyage.
Dave Anderson
We are pleased to be able to add the thoughts of Jonathan's brother, Harlan and Aliza, Harlan's daughter, as was shared with everyone at the memorial Monday evening.
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