THEODORE COHEN

COHEN--Dr. Theodore B., M.D., psychoanalyst and specialist in children and adolescents, died peacefully on April 22 at his home in Narberth, Pennsylvania. He was 92 years old. Dr. Cohen was well known for his active work and practice on "the vulnerable child", a subject he had worked on for over 60 years. Dr. Cohen was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 4, 1923, and had attended Brooklyn College, majoring in psychology. He was drafted into the US Army in 1942 and served in the US Army of General George Patton when it conquered Germany in 1945. His college training in psychology led to the assignment to lead surviving children from the Dachau concentration camp to be cared for by the Red Cross. He later enrolled in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, graduated in 1951, and completed residencies at the major hospitals in the Philadelphia area in 1956. He began his practice in Philadelphia, associated with the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia, with which he was associated for more than 60 years. He was deeply committed to understanding children, how they learned, and how disabilities could be overcome. In 1976 he organized the first international meeting on children and adolescents in Philadelphia. He led the Discussion Group on Vulnerable Children of the American Psychoanalytic Society for many years, holding annual meetings in New York, as well as sessions at the Association for Child Psychoanalysis. He edited three volumes on this subject with his colleagues Dr. Hossein Etezady and Dr. Bernard Pacella. In addition to his professional practice, Dr. Cohen was an avid sportsman, playing tennis and also table tennis. He advised the US Olympic Table Tennis team at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. He attended all of the summer Olympic Games from 1960 to 2008. He also was deeply engaged with the natural environment, supporting many environmental organizations. Dr. Cohen is survived by his son, Charles Cohen, Charles's wife, Bridget Cohen, and two grandchildren, Scott and Leigh-Anna, all of Daytona Beach, Florida, as well as by his brother, Dr. Seymour S. Cohen of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and his family. Dr. Cohen's wife of 39 years, Barbara Cohen, died in 1988. His previous marriage to Sylvia Cohen ended in divorce. Funeral services Monday 9:30am Goldsteins Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks, 6410 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. Burial will follow at Beth David Cemetery, Elmont, NY at approximately 1pm.