Stephen Barry Cohen

Steve was born on December 30, 1980, in Hayward, California. His parents, Susan and Alvin Cohen, raised him in Northridge. Steve was a football star at Cleveland High School, though he ultimately decided to pursue his bachelor’s degree in English at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The idea of surfing between classes appealed to him more than the idea of getting injured in college football.

After living in New York for a few months, Steve moved to San Francisco and worked at Yoshi’s – a Japanese restaurant and nightclub that hosts mostly jazz players. He often rubbed elbows with popular jazz musicians and loved to tell stories of his time there. In 2007, he moved back to Northridge and began working as a special education teachers’ aide at Blythe Elementary, where he worked until 2016. He became married in 2010 and welcomed his son, Alex, in 2011. The family moved to Salem, Oregon in 2016. Steve worked for Davita for several years, first as a dialysis technician, and later as a biomed technician.

Steve loved his family, surfing, music, literature, and playing hockey.

He is survived by his wife, son, and mother. He is preceded in death by his father.

A graveside burial will be held at City View Cemetery in Salem on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. A service will follow at 5:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, at 1274 Cunningham Ln., Salem, OR 97302.

A fund has been set up by former co-worker and friend, Adam Harrison. https://www.supportnow.org/stephen-cohen

The family wishes to extend their special gratitude to student Rabbi Gretchen Shoshana Hughes Lieberman.