Ruth Mitchell Cogan

Ruth was the beloved wife of 58 years to Timothy B. Cogan, and a wonderful mother to her two sons, John and Milo.

Ruth Winsor Mitchell was born on July 11, 1941, in Bryn Mawr, PA, the third daughter of Susanna Shaw Minturn and John Kearsley Mitchell, Jr. She attended Shipley School, graduated from Oldfields School in 1959, and Briarcliffe College in 1961. She then worked in fashion photography in New York City for Melvin Sokolsky and Milton Greene until her marriage in 1967. In 1972 she moved to Princeton, NJ to raise her children with her husband. As the Episcopal Chaplain’s wife, she started a group for Princeton University’s newly admitted women, fed undergraduates physically and spiritually, studied ceramics and played club tennis. In 1985, she moved to North Andover, MA, and became a member of the Brooks School faculty, where she used her amazing ability to connect with students through her art to turn a makeshift ceramics club into a full credit course. After retirement, she spent her winters in Florida where she continued making pottery at Bethesda-by-the-Sea and playing tennis weekly at the Bath & Tennis Club.

For more than 50 years she spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard where she continued to play tennis at the Edgartown Yacht Club, and where her wicked sense of humor flourished. She loved animals, especially birds, and she nurtured a backyard garden and menagerie from spring through fall – hummingbirds were some of her favorites; squirrels were not. She was a keen judge of character and a voracious reader, who made weekly trips to her local libraries to pick up new stacks of books. She was active to the end and could frequently be found on daily walks through Sherriff’s Meadow, taking bike rides around the island to Morning Glory Farm, or kayaking in Sengekontacket. She is survived by her husband and sons, her daughters-in-law, Susie and Claudia, her much adored grandchildren Finn, Will, Lucy & Phoebe, and cousins. She was predeceased by her sister-in-law M. Sheridan Cogan. Her ability to make the people around her laugh was a gift that shall not be forgotten, nor her bravery.

In lieu of flowers donations in Ruth’s name may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.

A funeral service will be held on June 14, 2025 at 11AM EST at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 with a reception to follow.

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