Obituary

Alexander Cohn Obituary

Alexander "Buddy" Cohn

Sept. 11, 1944 - Oct. 24, 2023

Alexander "Buddy" Cohn, 79, passed away October 24, 2023, at Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center surrounded by his family.

He was born September 11, 1944, in Washington D.C. His father ran a news-stand in Union Station often calling on Buddy and his two brothers to come in and work the "B-Shift" (B there in the morning, B there in the evening, B there when I need you). In the days before air travel was more accessible, Buddy's father would put him on the train from DC to Ohio to sell newspapers. At ten years old he was terrified to get off the train, scared that the train would depart without him. Years later his father told him that the porters were watching out for him, he never would have been left behind.

After learning the details of his father's business Buddy decided to branch out on his own into the world of sales. He sat in front of Hoffberg's Deli on Georgia Avenue in Washington DC and sold Cheerios that he marketed as "bagel seeds." Someone commented to his father how cute and clever Buddy was. You'd have to know Buddy's father, his immediate thoughts were that this was anything BUT cute. Trouble!!

Buddy received his Bar Mitzvah at B'nai Israel of Washington DC on Saturday, October 19, 1957. Having a variety of street smarts and life skills as he entered the turbulent sixties, he received on the ground training to be a vocal advocate and organizer. He graduated a year earlier than his peers, attending Paul Jr. High and Coolidge High school. He received his B.A. in Political Science, from American University, Washington D.C., in 1967. He continued and received his Juris Doctorate from Washington College of Law, American University in 1970.

He was a member of the District of Columbia Bar, American Bar Association and he was admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court. In his years as the Union Lawyer for the Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO, he dealt with matters concerning rights under all federal, state, and provincial labor laws as well as lectured on grievance handling and arbitration processes at conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Family changes brought him to Napa, CA, where he dove headfirst into a successful career as a full-time labor arbitrator.

In 2009, he began his most important work in the role of "Grandpa Buddy," a job he loved with all his heart.

His life was surrounded with literature; the writings of Benjamin Franklin were some of his favorites. From Albert Einstein, Justice in Moscow, Europe since Napoleon, Resistance to Revolution to devouring a Patterson beach novel a day while vacationing at his favorite island getaways in the Pacific.

In the presence of Buddy Cohn there was never a dull moment; bright, witty, admired for his sense of humor, irony and prodigious intellect, he was both respected by his peers and adored by his family.

Buddy is survived by his wife, Kelly Pepper; his daughter, Terra Pepper; his granddaughter, Cadence Pepper; his brother, Steve Cohn; his sister, Karen Graham; and countless family members including his "140 cousins" in the DC / Maryland area. Buddy was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Bertha; and his brother, Charlie.

In lieu of flowers, please support these causes important to the family: The American Civil Liberties Union https://action.aclu.org/give/now?redirect=node/65102; or The Trees Remember https://thetreesremember.com/memorial-trees/.