Guilderland - Jeffrey S. Cohen, loving husband of 31 years to Jacqueline (Jackie) and beloved father of Hannah Grace and Sarah Elizabeth, died peacefully at home on Sunday, September 29, 2024, after a courageous battle with chromophobe kidney cancer.

Jeff was born on November 21, 1961 in Pittsfield, MA, the beloved son of Robert and Iris (Sidman) Cohen. Jeff’s greatest joys in life were his three girls and his treasured “granddogs,” Winnie and Benson.  Jeff was a graduate of Pittsfield High School and UMASS Amherst. Growing up, Jeff found a passion for sports, which he loved to watch and play. He was the go-to friend or family member to call for any trivia or crossword clues on sports, 1960s and 1970s TV and movies, and classic rock. Though soft spoken, Jeff had an intuition for when his loved ones needed him and was always there with a listening ear, a helping hand, and a joke that never failed to bring a smile to your face even during hard times. Jeff retired from the mortgage industry after over 30 years in 2022 and spent his final years taking care of his beloved parents, volunteering with Community Caregivers, traveling, and spending time with the people he loved the most.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Jackie, daughters Hannah and Sarah, uncles Alan Sidman (Sharman) and Steven Cohen, aunt Jan Lysy (Dusan), brother Andrew (Laurie), sister Ruth (Bob Thistle), brothers and sisters-in-law David Thomas, Daniel Gaffney, George Gaffney, Patricia Lanotte (Michael), Katherine Gaffney (Erik Smith), and Margaret Gaffney-Smith (Chip), nieces and nephews Devan Cohen, Jack Thistle (Mariah), Quinn Cohen, Carolyn Cohen, Patricia Thistle, Mackenzi Miller (Rob), Anthony Lanotte, Jack Smith (Natalie), Patrick Gaffney, Lauren Lanotte, Aidan Smith, Sean Smith, Heather Broeckx and Leyla Kiosse (Levi); cousins David Lysy (Meg), Kara Lysy, Erin Johnstone (Eric), Sherri Lysy, David Cohen (Kathleen), Michael Cohen (Shana), Mark Woolsey Paige (Sonya), Stasha Cohen (Mark), Derek Cohen, Cheryl Cohen Owens and Joseph Ritter (Nancy), and many cherished friends, particularly the Pittsfield and O’Toole’s boys. Jeff was predeceased by his beloved parents, Robert and Iris Cohen and Jack and Anne Gaffney.

Services to celebrate Jeff’s life will be held at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave. in Albany on Sunday, October 6 at 10:00 a.m. 

Memorial Slide Show Video for Jeffrey Cohen

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jeff’s memory to the Denise A. Kaley Fund for Berkshire County Women with Cancer, c/o Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 800 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257, or the Wildwood Foundation, 1190 Troy Schenectady Rd., Latham, NY 12110.