Ira S. Cohen

Ira Cohen, aged 70, sadly passed away after a brief illness on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at The Oaks Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in New Bedford, surrounded by his loving family. Born in New Bedford and a life-long resident, he was the son of the late Morris and Bess Cohen.

Ira received his degree in Anthropology from UMass Amherst; was the long-time proprietor of Upstair Used Books in downtown New Bedford, a fixture of the community; and was an integral part of the UMass Dartmouth Art department (previously The Swain School of Design) for decades.

Ira, who some might think of as an eccentric intellectual, had two great loves, besides his children and grandchildren, and that was books and the arts, to which he devoted his life.

To that end, he opened his shop, Upstair Used Books, over 40 years ago in downtown New Bedford, and it was truly a labor of love. It wasn’t about making money, but about sharing his passion with the world, the feel and touch and words of a good book. He enjoyed so much going to book sales all over New England, for the excitement of possibly finding a first edition amongst the tables and cartons of books for sale.

In addition to the bookstore, and what many people might not know, is that Ira also worked as a model for generations of Swain School/UMass art students. He has been painted and sculpted; had a bronze mold made of his body; and had a New York City art exhibit dedicated to just paintings of his likeness. He was the favorite model of countless students and professors, and his loss will be felt throughout the New Bedford arts community.

Ira was a unique individual and was deeply committed to his beliefs. One of which was food waste, and he thought it unconscionable how much food was wasted in this country (and the world) and he tried to be as responsible as possible to not add to the problem.

He loved listening to the radio, with WUMB (91.9), the UMass Boston station, being one of his favorites. He was a lifelong reader of The New Yorker (not an exaggeration, as he grew up in a home with a New Yorker subscription), and also subscribed to the daily New York Times, the New York Review of Books and London Review of Books, among other publications.

He carried a thermos of tea with him to the bookstore each day, and enjoyed sitting in his chair by the window, drinking his tea, and chatting with his customers. In later years, he also garnered a following selling books on eBay. He was a fixture of downtown New Bedford (and New Bedford in general) where he could be seen walking or riding his bike every day of the week. One of his great loves was an early evening bike ride, with no particular destination, and during his illness, he wanted nothing more than to be able to ride his bike again, speaking about it every day.

He will be greatly missed.

Ira is survived by his loving children, Ali Diamond and her partner Leslie Lucio of Northampton, MA and Levi Diamond of Greenfield, MA; his five grandchildren; and his two sisters, Susan Cohen and Marcia Emery.

Plans for a public gathering in honor and memory of Ira will be announced at a future time.

Private arrangements are in the care of ROCK FUNERAL HOME, 1285 Ashley Blvd. New Bedford, MA 02745. For on-line tributes, please visit www.rock-funeralhome.com