HomeMy WebLinkAboutCohen, Aaron 01.05.1931-02.25.2010 v Aaon Cohen
January 5, 1931 - February 25, 2010
Aaron Cohen, 79, of College Station passed away on Thursday, It is worth noting that the three schools he attended, Jefferson
February 25, 2010, in College. Station, Texas. Funeral service will High School, Texas A &M `University and Stevens Institute of
be provided by Porter Loring in San Antonio. Services will be at Technology, each awarded Aaron its highest honor. In 1982,
1 p.m. Monday, March 1, at Congregation Agudas Achim, located Stevens conferred upon him an Honorary Doctor of Engineering
at 16550 Huebner in San Antonio. Graveside services will follow degree. In 1989, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus and
at the Agudas Achim Memorial Gardens, located at 1727 Austin received an honorary Doctor of Letters from Texas A &M
Highway in San Antonio. Rabbi Leonardo Bitran, Hazzan Jeremy University. And in 2007, Aaron was named a charter member of
Lipton and Dr. Samuel M. Stahl, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth the "Hall of Fame" established by Jefferson High School.
El will officiate the services.
Throughout his career he received numerous state, national
Aaron was born on January 5, 1931, in Corsicana, Texas, to and international awards and medals and honors, including
immigrant Russian parents Charles and Ida Cohen. College an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of
Station and Corsicana, two small Texas communities, are 118 Houston -Clear Lake and the Rotary National Space Trophy. He
miles apart, but that is not the measure of Aaron's life journey. had the unique honor of receiving four NASA Distinguished
His life was devoted to learning and teaching, to finding new ways Service medals. Aaron considered his election to membership
to do old things better, and to finding ways to do new things that in the National Academy of Engineering his most ptrstigious
had never been done at all, always with the highest professional recognition. But a recent honor rivals the NAE membership; in
and personal ethical and moral standards. He traveled all over the a ceremony in Aaron's home on January 23, 2010, Dr. R. Bowen
world, working with the giants of the United States space program Loftin, Texas A &M University's interim president, presented
and meeting the rich and famous on numerous occasions. To the him with a Doctor of Letters from his university. This honor is
end, he was the same humble man. rarely given by the university, the citation commended him for
his contributions to the nation's space program, as well as his
At the age of five, Aaron moved with his parents and two sisters, contributions to Texas A &M University.
Ann and Libbye, to San Antonio. Though he had not lived in
San Antonio since 1948, he always considered it home. Friends In 1993, Aaron began a second career, as the H.B. Zachry Professor
he made there remained his friends throughout his life. When of Engineering in the Mechanical Engineering Department at
he was a teenager, his brother -in -law, Joe Birnbaum, gave him a Texas A &M University. Coming back to A &M to give back to the
used wooden tennis racquet and introduced Aaron to the game university in that capacity was a huge thrill for Aaron. Although
of tennis. As a poor kid growing up in San Antonio, Aaron would he had never taught before then, he soon realized that working
ride his bicycle to the tennis courts at San Pedro Park, hoping with young engineering students was both a challenge and an
to find someone who would hit tennis balls with him and help honor and he very quickly found his voice in the classroom. Many
him develop his game. And develop his game he did! In 1948, of his students have stayed in touch with him, and he took special
representing Thomas Jefferson High School, Aaron won theitate pride in seeing some of his students begin their professional
boys high school tennis title at a tournament in Dallas. It was also lives at the Johnson Space Center. In 2000, Aaron retired as a
in San Antonio, at 16, that Aaron met his wife- to -be, Ruth, 14, and professor emeritus, but stayed involved in academic life. He and
for them that was the beginning of a lifelong love and their Ruth continued to live in College Station.
marriage in 1953.
While Aaron's career and professional life were of
In 1949, Aaron enrolled at Texas A &M University, ,. ' great importance and satisfaction for him, it was
where he earned a Bachelor of Science in his family that was the core of his life.
Mechanical Engineering in 1952. Many
classmates became lifelong friends. That Aggie Survivors include his wife, Ruth; three children
bond is not a mythical thing; it really does exist x ' and spouses, Nancy and Sam Santana, David
To this day his friend Skip Johnson says that if , ., � and Miriam Cohen and Daniel and oan Cohen;
Y PJ Y J
it hadn't been for Aaron Cohen, Skip would : his adored and adoring nine grandchildren,
have never earned his degree. Aaron played Cara and Sammy Santana, Ariela, Rachel,
on the freshman tennis team but then decided . Gobi, and Brooke Cohen and Carolyn, Brian,
to concentrate on his studies. For that he was "' ' . .--, .,;' . . ,3 ,r' and Natalie Cohen.
elected to Phi Eta Sigma and Tau Beta Pi, honorary ,-
academic societies. His grandchildren brought so much pleasure and
joy to his life, and he treasured the time and travel that
Upon completionofhisROTCmilitaryobligation ,including he spent with them. He and Ruth were blessed to have an
a tour of duty in Korea, Aaron began his engineering career at the exceptional love and a strong marriage. His good friend, Henry
Radio Corporation of America in 1954. Here he contributed to Pohl, in his typical country -boy way, once said that Aaron and
the development of a magnetron tube which would be the heart Ruth were "like two crowder peas in a pod:
of a revolutionary new kitchen appliance, which we all know
and own today, the microwave oven. Also, with two colleagues Aaron and Ruth were privileged to travel throughout the world,
at RCA, Aaron was awarded a U.S patent for work on a cathode from Australia to Russia and points in between, seeing places and
ray tube for color television. For this, the three men shared the things they never expected to see when they started their marriage
princely sum of $100. with little money but with much hope and ambition along with a
good mind and an education to make their future bright.
Three life changing events occurred during the four years that
' Aaron was employed at RCA. It was during this period that he Aaron is also survived by his sister Ann's children, Sandra
and Ruth became parents. His daughter, Nancy, was born in 1956 Levinson, Mike Birnbaum, Bob Birnbaum and Barry Birnbaum,
and his son, David, was born in 1958. While working full -time, and by his sister Libbye's children, Brad Reich and Pamela Reich.
Aaron completed a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics
from Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, N.J., in 1958. Pallbearers will be Mr. Louis Belinsky, Dr. Morris Spector, Mr.
For those wishing to make a donation in memory of Aaron, the
In 1958, Aaron and his family moved to San Diego, Calif., where family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Aaron Cohen
he worked for General Dynamics on the Atlas and Centaur Engineering Scholarship Fund at Texas A &M, which his wife and
programs. His son, Daniel, was born there in 1960. When NASA children established in honor of his 60th birthday. Checks should
announced its program to send men to the moon, Aaron could be made payable to the Texas A &M Foundation and mailed to
not resist the challenge to join the effort. This he did, moving with 401 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX 77840 -2811, with the
his family to Houston in 1962. scholarship's name noted on the check. Others may prefer to
donate to Hospice Brazos Valley, which provided great comfort
Aaron had a remarkable career at the Manned Spacecraft Center, and kindness to Aaron in his final days. The address is 502 W.
later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Beginning 26th St., Bryan, TX 77803.
there as "the new kid on the block;' Aaron held increasingly
important jobs. He was manager of the Command Module for
the Apollo program and the Shuttle Orbiter Project; he led the
lx id f 1
Research and Engineering Directorate; and in 1986 was named rM„
director of the Johnson Space Center, a post he held until his C (( ���ielt o nd C 4ouvie
retirement in 1993. In his last year with NASA, Aaron also served
2301 E. 29th St. • Bryan, TX 77802
as Acting Deputy Administrator at NASA Headquarters in Ph: 979-822-1571 •
Washington, D.C. During his career he experienced great tragedy
and also incredible success. He never forgot the lessons learned Please view and sign theguestbook
from the tragedies, and he was always quick to share his success at www.hillierfitneralhome.com.
with his colleagues.