Merrill Cohen

Born in Boston, Merrill was the dear son of the late Alfred and Gladys (Goldie) Cohen. Merrill was a graduate of Boston Latin School (then called Boys Latin), and upon graduation he enlisted into the Army as a medic during World War II. Merrill then attended Boston University as a chemistry major, and thereafter earned his Ph.D in Organic Chemistry from the University of Chicago, studying under Professor Teller, who developed the hydrogen bomb.

Merrill was a lifelong scientist who invented a coating for the pacemaker and owned a number of scientific patents. After retirement, Merrill’s inquisitive nature led him to work on various personal projects including exploring his own scientific theories concerning ALS causality, breeding day lilies, dahlias and orchids, and tending to his gardens and fruit trees. Merrill was an avid fisherman, Yellowstone enthusiast, and rock collector, passions that he has passed on to three generations. He spent many wonderful summers in Ogunquit with his family and friends and was always the first to dive into the frigid waves.

Merrill is survived by the love of his life, Eleanor (Goldstein) Cohen, his wife of 70 years. They were longtime residents of Marblehead, living for 66 years in the same house where they raised their family. Family includes his three children, Mark Cohen, Steven Cohen and his wife Karen, and Linda Ben-Ezra and her husband Ami; five grandchildren, Kimberly Neil, David Cohen, Allison Cohen, Daniel Ben-Ezra, and Dalia Ben-Ezra, and great-grandchildren Griffin Neil, Kobe Russell and Eva Cohen and Olivia Cohen. He was the loving brother of the late Jason Cole and the late Phyllis Bernstein.

Funeral services are private due to regulations imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Merrill’s memory to the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America via https://www.jwv.org/give/donate/donate-on-time/.