Robert S. Cohen

Robert Seldon Cohen, 84, of Dover, Ohio died Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at Select Care in Canton following an overwhelming infection after an extended illness.

Rob founded Dover Chemical Corporation in 1949 and served as President until December 1976. By then, Dover Chemical had become the largest producer of chlorinated paraffins. Dover was merged into the Ansul Company (NYSE) in 1974, and Rob became Manager of Specialties Chemicals for Ansul�(TM)s plant in Marinette, as well as the plant in Dover. In 1975, ICC Industries purchased Dover Chemical from Ansul. Rob became Vice President of Research and Development for ICC until 1977. He then founded Enterprise Chemical Corporation, a manufacturer of semi-conductor grade nitric acid. The plant was destroyed by fire in April, 1984. Rob also founded Cripple Creek Trout Farm, Inc., a commercial rainbow trout growing operation in Rural Retreat, Virginia with marketing in the Washington area. The company sold in 1996. He also originated JC Technology Corporation in 1985, a venture exploiting a novel catalytic method of producing Heavy Water. He was the holder of six U.S. Patents and some provisional patents.

Rob was born September 23, 1923 in Rochester, New York, the son of the late Samuel J. and Jean (Goldstein) Cohen. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Roberta Joan Klar Cohen who died Nov. 1995 and a stepson in law, David Gift.

He was a member of the Temple Israel in Canton. He attended the University of Michigan from 1941-1944, graduating with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. degree in Physics in 1947. He received an Honorary Ph.D. in Science from Kent State University in 1998. Rob entered the U.S. Army in 1944 and was recruited by Manhattan District Engineers to work on the Atomic Bomb Project. He received the Distinguished Service Unit Award for this work in 1945. He participated in Bikini Atom Bomb Tests in 1946 and was discharged from the Army at the conclusion of these tests where he returned to the University of Michigan.

Rob was a member of the Executive Committee and Trustee of the Wilderness Center in Wilmot, Board of Directors of Tuscarawas County University Foundation, Chairman of the Finance Committee of Kent University Foundation from 1998-2002, Kent State University Foundation Board Member and Consultant to Chemical and Paper Industries. He served as a member of the National Advisory Council to Consumer Products Safety Commission from 1975-77, a Founding Member and Treasurer of Chemical Specialties Management Council from 1960-84, a Founding Member of the Fire Retardant Chemical Association and the Chemists Club, Rob was a licensed Professional Engineer in Ohio and Pennsylvania and was listed in Who�(TM)s Who in Engineering and Who�(TM)s Who in the Midwest. He was elected to a position of Fellow of American Institute of Chemical Engineers in January of 1979 and 50 year Emeritus Member of the American Chemical Society. In recent years, he was also a consultant and active member of the SCORE organization and was currently working on several other patents.

He is survived by his wife, Miriam Pretorius Cohen with whom he celebrated nine years of marriage April 30, 1998; He is also survived by his son, Matthew Stuart (Mary) Cohen and daughter, Hannah of Fishers, Indiana; a daughter, Mardah (Neal) Weinfield and their sons, William and Samuel; a sister, Marion Hubbard of Inez, California and her three children, Bruce (Cha-rie) Hubbard, Gregory and Stephen Hubbard; stepchildren, Julia Gift and her children, Rachel Gift, and Sarah (Egidio) DiFazio, Margaret (Peter) Nevins and son, Patrick; Ellen Pretorius and son, John Brogan; M. Kingsland Pretorius and her children, Jennifer, Matthew, and Amy Struhar; Valerie (Steve) Sluka and children, Steven, Jordan, and Jeremy; James Pretorius and Ann Thomas and children, Ray Thomas, Lee (Jessica)Thomas and children, Adrian and Adam, and Jimmy Thomas; Calvin and Patrick Pretorius and step great grandchild, Egidio DiFazio; sister in law, Barbara Kain of Port Washington, New York and longtime friends, Debbie Zinn and Cheryll.

Funeral services will be held Monday, October 22, 2007 at 11am in the Temple Israel, 333 25th St. N.W., Canton with Rabbi John Spitzer officiating. Interment will be in Northlawn Cemetery in Canton. A reception will follow in the Toland-Herzig Monarch Center located on the Boulevard in Dover. Friends may call at the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory in Dover on Sunday from 2:30-4:30pm. Those unable to attend or who may wish to express a fond memory of Robert may sign the online register book by visiting the “obituaries” link on the funeral home website at www.tolandherzig.com

Memorial contributions may be made to Roberta's Network, c/o Temple Israel in Canton or the Friends of the Homeless in Tuscarawas County, 211 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663.

Toland-Herzig, Dover
330 343-6132