Dr. Roberta B. Cohen of Cambridge, Massachusetts passed away June 10th, 2022. Born July 7th, 1934 in Brooklyn, NY, Daughter to Solomon and Florence, Sister to Myra, Aunt to Marc and Amy, Grandaunt to James, Isaac, Matthew(Ashley), 

Jason, Rachael, Great Grandaunt to Amberlynn, Carson, Elliot, Skylar, Cadence, Hadley, and Sydney. Along with being a loving family member and friend, Roberta had a passion for learning. At the age of 4, while her older sister was registering to start kindergarten, a young Roberta asked if she could attend as well. Unfortunately, the school clerk had to bear the bad news that the school was full, which Roberta’s immediate response was if she could fill in if anyone was absent. 

This was just the beginning of Roberta’s scholastic pursuit. Roberta would go on to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University – cum laude (1955), a master’s degree from Wellesley College (1959), a doctoral degree from Harvard University – distinction in psychology (1969), and continuing education as a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis (1990). This education led to a 40-year tenure of practicing psychology and for 12 years she was the executive director of a 766-school for troubled adolescents. These professional and scholastic achievements were certainly a labor of love but not without grit and determination as Roberta supported herself through this journey and self-financed her entire educational and professional career. This helped shape Roberta’s incredibly strong will. It is no secret that her nieces and nephews looked to her as the scholar of the family and the influence she’s had on them in the importance of education is passed down to her Great Grandnieces. When not practicing psychology, Roberta would be practicing on her Steinway grand piano or you could find her on one of her many Arctic explorations. She was also a huge fan and avid tennis player for many years. Roberta’s family shares fond memories of all the years she hosted Thanksgiving dinner in Cambridge and when the youngest of children grew, how she would visit upstate New York to keep the tradition going. And although born in New York, Roberta was New England proud through and through. She will be missed and forever loved.