William Richard Cohen, MD

SOUTHBOROUGH - Dr. William Richard Cohen was born on June 16, 1939, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Leon Cohen and Edith Goot. He died on October 14, 2026, at the age of 87.

In 1943, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Bill and his brother Alan grew up. As a young boy, Bill was deeply impressed by a doctor who made a house call to care for his mother. The experience left an indelible impression. A seed was planted.

Bill excelled academically at the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School, where he also enjoyed gymnastics and fondly recalled dismantling and reassembling a nine-cylinder aircraft engine. Graduating in the top of his class of 1,500, he went on to attend Cooper Union on a full scholarship.

However, during his junior year studying mechanical engineering, Bill came to an important realization: having an aptitude for mathematics and physics did not necessarily mean he wanted to spend his life working in those fields. His childhood interest in medicine had endured.

William took his academic transcript to a local bank and asked if it would be willing to help him with a loan if he were accepted to medical school, and hey agreed. He promptly transferred to Brooklyn College and worked various jobs for the Coast Guard and the Post Office while attending night classes in biology and chemistry to fulfill his premed requirements. He was thrilled to be accepted at SUNY Buffalo Medical School, where he immersed himself in his studies from 1963 to 1967.

Bill loved the outdoors, and his residency in San Francisco afforded him regular trips to Yosemite. He climbed Cathedral Peak four times and was the lead climber on his final ascent. He climbed Half Dome and dozens of other mountains there, as well as Mt. Shasta, Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in California, and Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in North America. He loved talking about his adventures, his encounters with bears and the thrill of summiting peaks for the first time.

When he entered the Army in the fall of 1969, he served as a captain and radiologist in Korea, doing everything from treating bullet wounds to delivering babies. Upon returning to the United States, he completed his service at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania.

Although he enjoyed his rotations in surgery and radiology, he began to lean toward psychiatry, particularly after reading more about new therapies in helping patients. Engaging with patients about the importance of self-esteem, thinking, and making rational choices, his career as a psychiatrist would become challenging and rewarding work.

While visiting Washington, D.C. in February 1971, Bill met Sandra on a Sunday afternoon walk in Georgetown. “She caught my eye, and I haven’t taken my eyes off her since.” They began a conversation that continued through dinner, during which he told her he was going to marry her. They were married four months later, in June, and their son, Adam, was born in March of the following year. Their conversation and love grew for over 55 years.

Dr. Cohen worked in private practice in Boston for several years before joining Fallon as head of its Department of Psychiatry. He remained at Fallon for 20 years. He especially enjoyed treating patients in a hospital setting. working with St. Vincent’s Hospital until 1997. Bill continued his practice at Framingham Middlesex, McLean, Bridgewater, and Framingham State Hospitals, treating and advocating on behalf of an extraordinary range of patients over more than fifty years. Throughout his career, he always spoke about his work with concern and passion. He retired reluctantly from psychiatry in 2022 at the age of 83. He served as a member of the Worcester Medical Society and served as a delegate to the Massachusetts Medical Society for over 25 years, where he regularly advocated for patients struggling with addiction and spoke out against treating them as criminals. He also challenged public policies that diminished the agency and choices of doctors and their patients. These convictions were grounded in his respect for the dignity of the individual and the freedom to choose.

Bill was a passionate advocate of civil liberties, gathering signatures on petitions concerning local and federal issues. His library reflected his deep interest in the American Revolution, the Constitution, the Civil War, and the numerous episodes throughout history, including our own time, in which individuals have stood on principle against tyranny. The history of law, evolution and scientific achievement were constant sources of joy for him.

Bill’s spirit of adventure, abundant optimism, and keen appreciation of every endeavor to advance individual freedom and scientific understanding are mirrored in his library. It reflects his love of mountain climbing and seafaring, as well as his many other interests, including gardening, where he delighted in watching seedlings sprout. His skill in carpentry and fine woodworking is reflected in the numerous bookcases, cabinets, and furniture throughout his home. With the assistance of his son, he built a spacious porch where he loved to read and socialize. His telescope allowed him to observe galaxies and planets. Bill earned his captain’s certificate so he could charter sailboats for Summer family adventures in Narragansett Bay and trips to Cuttyhunk and Block Island.

Bill was an ardent supporter of the Cato Institute; Institute for Humane Studies; The Reason Foundation; The Nature Conservancy; St. Jude’s and Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, and the Worcester Art Museum.

Most of all, Bill cherished the time he spent with his beloved family and friends. His wit, insights and sweetness were extraordinary and precious. He genuinely loved to make people laugh, and we will laugh a little less in his absence. Bill was a beautiful human being and will be dearly missed.

He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Sandra and their son Adam, wife Elina, and grandson Zachary in Connecticut; his cousin Harry Stein in California; his brother-in-law Samuel and wife, TJ; his niece Kyra and husband, Daniel, and children, Zelda and Tilly in Pennsylvania; and his nephews Ravi in Maryland and Haji in California.

Friends are invited to a remembrance service at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden, Massachusetts on Sunday October 25th at 11 A.M.

Donations in Bill's name to the American Diabetes Association would be deeply appreciated.