It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Steven H. Cohen of Boston, Massachusetts, on August 31, 2025. Steve was a teacher, a collaborator, and an eternal student who brought warmth, clarity, and insatiable curiosity to everything he touched. His remarkable professional legacy spanned the globe, winning multiple prestigious awards.
Steve’s brilliance revolutionized marketing science and research. As the pioneer of Menu-Based Conjoint analysis and the first to introduce Maximum Difference Scaling (MaxDiff), Steve’s methods empowered organizations to deeply understand consumer choice, segment markets more intelligently, and make data-driven decisions with unprecedented clarity.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara, with whom he shared 21 wonderful years. They built a warm and loving home, embracing family and friends with generosity, kindness, love, fun, gourmet food and wine.
Steve embraced Barbara’s children Kate Trott and Clint Johnston, their spouses Brian Trott and Tori Johnston, and three grandchildren, Caleb, Kylee and Bo, as his family. He is also survived by his children Ben Cohen and Kara Cohen, as well as, his nieces and nephew.
His wife, Barbara, invites all to a celebration of Steve's life on Saturday, September 13th at 11am at Stratford Street United Church, 77 Stratford Street, West Roxbury, MA.
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Steve’s memory with a donation to INFORMS Society for Marketing Science (ISMS) which will support scholarships and awards that reflect his lasting impact at https://bit.ly/4mQmNfZ Or please donate to the Stratford Street United Church or to an organization of your choice in his memory.
