Richard Jay Cohn

Richard Jay Cohn was born on April 12, 1943, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Harry and Miriam Cohn. He was later joined by his two sisters, Diane and Julie. The family spent several years in Montgomery before returning to Birmingham, where Richard would spend the majority of his life.

In 1964, Richard met the love of his life, Linda. They married on December 23, 1967, beginning a partnership that would last more than 57 years. They raised two sons—Jonathan, now married to Vivian, and Brian, now married to Christine—and were blessed with four grandchildren—Samantha, Nicholas, Lucas, and Audrey—who brought great joy to Richard’s life.

Richard was a devoted father and grandfather. He taught his sons to play golf and coached their youth basketball teams. In later years, he delighted in building Lego sets with his grandchildren and presiding as admiral over a small but mighty armada of pool floats that his grandchildren enjoyed.

Richard’s professional accomplishments were as impressive as his personal ones. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina in 1964, graduated first in his class from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1967, and went on to earn a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University in 1970.

Upon graduating from law school, Richard joined the Birmingham law firm of Sirote & Permutt as its tenth attorney. Over the next five decades, Richard became a pillar of the firm and the broader legal community, retiring only in 2023. Among his many career highlights, he played a key role in taking Bruno’s, Inc. public in 1971, at the age of 28.

Richard was a passionate supporter and participant in Birmingham’s sports scene. He helped establish the All American Bowl in college football and the Bruno’s Memorial Classic golf tournament. He represented several of Birmingham’s professional sports franchises, including the Bulls of the World Hockey Association, the World Football League’s Birmingham Vulcans, and the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions. He also represented the World Football League itself.

Richard was an avid scuba diver in his younger years and was a lifelong golfer. He played in the Bruno’s Pro Am several years, even outscoring Arnold Palmer one year.

Richard passed away on July 15, 2025. He touched the lives of many, and his memory will be a blessing for his family and friends.