Dorcas H. Cofer Cohen, Ph.D., Beloved
Mother, Psychologist, Artist, Trailblazer
Dorcas H. Cofer Cohen, age 98, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 20, 2025, at Seal Rock nursing home in Saco, Maine, near her beloved home in Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport. She spent the last decades of her life with her late husband, Dr. Solomon “Sol” J. Cohen, at the beach and in New York City. To all who knew her, she enjoyed life to the fullest with family and friends, was fearless, and shared a radiant smile.
Dorcas’ journey began on January 2, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pa., to her parents, Robert E. Hamilton and Dorcas Damon. She grew up in Philadelphia, Pa., and later Taunton, Mass., where she graduated high school with honors. She had two younger siblings: Joan Blaisdell-Gaumer and Robert E. Hamilton, Jr. (both deceased).
Dorcas displayed an interest in art, color, form, fashion and nature at an early age with sketches and paintings. She was the art director on many school yearbooks and pamphlets. She attended Pembroke College (now Brown University) and in 1949 she married her college sweetheart, the late Frederick “Fred” J. Cofer.
Dorcas began a life of exploration when she traveled to Europe in 1951 and toured the great cities during Fred’s second U.S. Navy tour of duty during the Korean War. They settled in NYC, where she worked at Vogue Magazine. As Fred’s business career advanced, they moved to Chatham, N.J.; Andover, Mass.; and then Westfield, N.J., where they raised their family.
Dorcas returned to school and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 1974. With the children grown and now single, she returned to NYC and began work at Beth Israel Hospital as the Director of Family Therapy and had a private practice. Sol and Dorcas were married in 1984 and enjoyed a rich urban life of pro-social work, friends and family.
After many decades of vacationing at Goose Rocks Beach, she retired to the beach and Dorcas revisited her interest in art with watercolor painting, took up tennis, and traveled frequently. Dorcas delighted in her family gatherings at Goose Rocks. She took great pleasure in conversation over a well cooked meal. She loved art, nature, sailing and tried her hardest at sports. She wielded knitting needles or a painter’s brush with equal dexterity. Her drink of choice was an end of day glass of wine. Her happy place was a walk on the soft sands of the beach collecting shells and sea glass and catching up on the lives of her children and friends.
Dorcas leaves behind many well loved children, Lisa Cofer Gonnella and husband Anthony of Kennebunkport, Me.; and James Hamilton Cofer and wife Leslie of Greenwich, Conn.; and stepchildren, Jonathan Cohen and wife Cindy of Scotch Plains, N.J. and Carolyn Cohen-Bethiel and husband Stuart of White Plains, N.Y. Her beloved daughter, Caitlin Cofer Rotchford of New Vernon, N.J., predeceased her in 2004. Her legacy also includes many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.
A private family remembrance is planned. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions can be made in Dorcas’ name to Brown University or Alzheimer’s research.
January 30, 2025
