Rita F. Cohen
Rita Feldman Cohen, 80, of Livingston died Aug. 18, 2015. Born in Rochester, NY, she also had lived in West Orange before moving to Livingston in 1960.
Mrs. Cohen was hired by the University of Pennsylvania Press as an editor of academic textbooks, evaluating manuscripts for publication. She later launched her teaching career as a substitute teacher and joined the faculty of Montclair State University’s Department of English as adjunct professor. Ultimately, she embarked on her own, creating Rita F. Cohen Educational Associates in West Orange and Livingston, specializing in SAT tutoring and other test preparation. She continued to teach and mentor up until a few months before her death.
She earned a full scholarship to Cornell University, which included a New York state cash tuition scholarship, Cornell scholarship, and state Regents scholarship. In her junior year, she was elected to the English honors program. She graduated with an English degree. Later, she was an honors student at Montclair State’s Teachers Training Program for Secondary Schools. She earned her master’s degree in English from Montclair State in 1962, and pursued additional doctoral studies at Drew University.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Harvey; her daughter, Susan Cohen (Joseph) Pannullo; her son, Jeffrey; daughters-in-law, Chris Meltzer Cohen and Michelle Cohen Samansky; seven grandchildren; and four step-grandchildren.
Services were held Aug. 19 with arrangements by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston.
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