Kathleen Marie Cohen

Kathleen Marie Cohen, age 72, of Tewksbury Twp., NJ passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at home.  She was born October 16, 1951 in Elizabeth, NJ. She grew up in Union, NJ.

She attended Saint Michael Grammar School and Union High School. Later, she attended Union College for a year followed by further education at James A Gregory School for nursing in Perth Amboy, NJ, where she received an RN diploma.

She worked for four years at Orange Memorial Hospital as a CCU nurse. She then spent the next 20 years at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ as a CCU nurse in intensive care and in various medical surgical assignments. Nursing took a toll on her body. She had to leave the profession even though she loved it.

After nursing, she pursued a career as a real estate agent with Weichert Reality in Clinton, NJ for 7 years, at which time she was diagnosed with a rare skull based tumor called a schwannoma of the 12th cranial nerve. The operation at Columbia Presbyterian left her on a feeding tube which doctors said she’d never get off of. But Kathy pursued treatment at John Hopkins and Kessler Institute and learned how to eat again.

Things went well for a few years, however they didn’t get all the tumor and she needed radiation. This resolved the problem but caused tightness in her neck, causing swallowing to become difficult for her again. She was diagnosed with Parkinsons in March 2023. Between the Parkinsons and difficulty swallowing, she passed on July 30, 2024.

Memberships include St. John Newmann in Califon, NJ and the Hunterdon Garden Club.

Kathleen loved gardening. She and her husband enjoyed going on house tours together. Her love of houses led her to her career as a real estate agent. She loved both nursing and real estate dearly and excelled at both fields. Kathleen also enjoyed swimming and was an avid Mets fan.

Kathleen is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, Gregory Cohen. One son; Dr. Ryan Cohen, a senior research scientist with Merck & Co. in Rahway, NJ, and his wife Ashley Denegre of Bridgewater, NJ. One daughter; Cheryl Cohen, an architect, and her husband Brandon Schans of Seattle, WA. One twin sister; Karen Portnoy and her husband Mark of Nazareth, PA. One brother; Edward Ostapczuk. Several nieces and nephews.

Graveside service will take place on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at St. Gertrude’s Cemetery, 53 Inman Avenue, Colonia, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Kathleen’s name to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or by visiting the link https://www.stjude.org/give/memorials-and-dedications.html.

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