Mrs. Terese Davis Cohen Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Terese Ann Davis Cohen died on Saturday, December 1, 2018. She was 91 years old. Terese died the way she lived, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and caregivers. She joins her beloved husband, friend and business partner, Norman P. “Buddy” Cohen, who preceded her in death in 2001 after 53 years of marriage. Terese was born on May 26, 1927. With the exception of college in St. Louis and Tallahassee and a few years in Tifton as a young wife and mother, she lived almost her entire life in Albany, though she was exceedingly well-traveled. She grew up in a large two-story house on Oglethorpe Boulevard with her parents and sister and a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. A well-manicured exterior belied the quirkiness of the house’s interior and the idiosyncrasies of its residents. In addition to two staircases in the front and back of the house, a birdcage elevator ferried people between floors, and secret passageways are rumored to have been hiding places for confederate soldiers. Terese’s uncles Adolph and Ike brought live theater and then “talkies” to Albany, and in Terese’s youth it was not uncommon to drive pass the house in the wee hours of the morning to find the lights on and the house abuzz with activity after the theaters closed for the evening. When Terese was 13, Lillian and Irving Cohen moved to Albany with their 16-year-old son Norman Phillip, who everyone called Buddy. He caught Terese’s eye, but she did not catch his for several more years. In between, while the country was involved in World War II, she enjoyed dances at the USO and flirtations with RAF officers, while Buddy was stationed in Iceland. With his mother’s encouragement, Terese started a letter-writing campaign to win Buddy’s heart, which was successful, and not long after his return they were wed. Thus began a lifelong partnership as husband and wife, parents, successful business owners and civic and congregational leaders. The fruits of their labors are born out in their children, their five grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren; the founding of the nearly 60-year-old family shoe business, The Shoe Box; and the continued growth and evolution of Temple B’nai Israel, the Jewish congregation to which they were dedicated and which they loved. With her death, Terese is the last of a loving and tenacious group of women who enjoyed life and entered death on their own terms. She is survived by her three daughters: Marsha Mathis (Jim) of Roswell, GA; Debbie Mulford (Bob) of Albany, GA; and Edie Cohen of Albany, GA; her five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren: Marty, Andrea, Marcela and Noah Mulford of Nashville, TN; Ned, Melanie and Carter Mathis of Roswell, GA; Jason, Kim and Turner Mulford and Anna and Addyson Johnson of Albany, GA; Rachel, Ryan, Nathan and Aaron Palazzo of Alpharetta, GA; and Michael, Katarina and Hala Mulford of Albany, GA. She is also survived by her caregiver and long-time companion Minnie Glover, as well as Vivian Whitehead and Gloria Seay, also beloved caregivers. And last but not least, she leaves behind her best friend and animal companion, Mimi. She lives in the lives of all she touched. May her memory be for a blessing. To honor Terese’s life, the family has requested that donations be made to the Temple B’nai Israel “Turkey Drive, ” P.O. Box 72151, Albany, GA, 31708; and Phoebe Hospice and Wilson Hospice House, 320 Foundation Lane, Albany, GA, 31707. Service will be graveside at 2 p.m., Tuesday, December 4, 2018, at Riverside Cemetery. Rabbi Dana Kaplan will officiate. The family will be gathering at the home of Debbie and Bob Mulford. To share your thoughts with the Cohen family, you may visit our website at www.kimbrellstern.com.