Blanche Cohen

We celebrate the long, beautiful, and fruitful life of Blanche E. Cohen, whose earthly life began on July 13, 1924 in Philadelphia, PA, and came to a peaceful end on January 20, 2019. She was educated in the Philadelphia Public School System and graduated from Overbrook High School. She played basketball for the Coasters and has a plaque in City Hall. She married Samuel Cohen in 1945 and they had two sons, Albert and Robert. She worked at the Federal Reserve Bank and retired from the Philadelphia Board of Education. She was honored recently by Governor Thomas Wolf for being the oldest person to serve on the voting polls.

Blanche was an excellent cook and you could always stop by her home and expect to eat something delicious. Her sister Estelle nicknamed her lovingly “dipping Blanche” because she could make a dip for a snack in 10 minutes from anything that she had in her pantry or refrigerator and she always had a variety of crackers and chips on hand. It was her great pleasure and absolute delight to cook and host every holiday. We all looked forward to dining, laughing and talking around her kitchen table. It was standing room only. All were welcomed. When she couldn’t physically host the dinners any longer; ever the organized person that she was she still managed to cook the meals and feed us while sitting in another room listening to the banter of her family and friends.

Blanche loved to travel and her favorite mode of travel was cruises. She loved shopping, jewelry, cooking, sewing, the beach, swimming, music, dancing, playing pinochle, the slots and laughing; but most of all she loved God and her life reflected that. She was kind, patient and nonjudgmental. She accepted you and met you where you were in your life – no judgment all love.

We will never know how many lives she touched with her generosity. Some of those she helped lived with her family for months at a time until they could get on their feet. Blanche believed that family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life that want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.

Blanche was preceded in death by: her parents, Reverend Purvie Utsey, Sr. and Anna May; as well as her husband, Samuel; brothers, Purvie (Lillian), Benjamin Sr. (Violet), Eugene Sr (Delores) and Willie;sisters, Valda (Bernard) and Estelle (Wilbur).

Blanche is survived by: her two children, Albert(Darlene) and Robert (Corona); brother, Wilbert Sr and sister, Mildred; five grandchildren: Dionne (Frank), Jason, Sheree (Cee), Hidiyah, and Sabrya; eighteengreat grand-children; two great-great grandchildren; nieces, Deborah, Lorraine , Venis, Arlette and Tonya; nephews, Andre (Delores), Bernard (Lisa), Yancey, Benjamin Jr, Eugene Jr (Shirley), Wilbert Jr (Valerie) and Duane (Ann); Goddaughter, Cora Kim; very close friends, Millie Harris, Mildred Hines and Lillian Simms (Bridget); and special cousins, Glendora Willis and Arthur Snell; our matriarch left a legacy of four generations of great nieces and nephews and a host of friends.