Lisa Hoffman and Charles Atkins, MD

Charlie writes:

One of the added benefits of my friendship with Lisa is that she’s a constant reminder of the truism--age is just a number. In this vein, she’s invited over her friend Harry Cohen—the oldest practicing attorney in Litchfield county.

As luck has it we interview him on his 86^th birthday, and are treated to the kinds of insight that come with that wonderful combination of age and wisdom.

Harry was born and raised in New Milford, his parents were both Russian immigrants. Ensconced in one of Lisa’s wicker chairs, he reflects on his childhood. "There were about a dozen Jewish families in New Milford, and I was born in a predominately black neighborhood. It was very open, no racism." He then describes how he first encountered prejudice not in the small town setting, where people were just people regardless of race or religion, but later in life.

"I’ve seen a marked change in society," he says, "and it’s shocking. In my work as an attorney I’m worried about the breakdown in families, where over fifty-percent of marriages end in divorce. I’ve been practicing for 60 years, and this is what keeps me going. To get involved in helping people in fighting the powers that be, like unscrupulous banks and insurance companies. It’s the fight that keeps me going. I find there’s a greater need today than in the early days."

"You lived for a while in Heritage Village?" Lisa asks.

"Yes I was there from 1975-1990. My wife passed away from cancer and then I moved to Woodbury in 1990 after I’d remarried."

"It’s unusual for people to move back to a house," Lisa comments. "The more typical course is someone leaves the retirement community to go into some kind of assisted living facility."

He explains, "My second wife, Sydelle is an interior designer. We designed and built our new house in Woodbury. She was able to have living areas that took advantage of our wonderful views and I was able to fulfill my hobby by having a big dark room in the basement."

"I remember a long time ago you told me that it’s not a good idea to live only with older people," Lisa says.

"There are pluses and minuses," he admits. "The negative of living in a retirement community is you have a single basic interest, which is all about the environment, the upkeep and the rules. Because of the age limitations there are barriers to an open society. You don’t get the mixtures and the different interests."

"Didn’t you also have something to do with theatre?" Lisa asks.

"Yes," and he goes on to describe his involvement with various local theatre groups and how this led to his passion for photography. "I watched the action peak," he explains referring to live performance, "and I learned when to capture the decisive moment. Photography opened the door to understanding people. I co-established the New England School of Photographic Arts that was originally on West Street in New Milford."

"Let me ask an odd question," I say. "If you could speak directly to our readers what are those things you’ve found to be the greatest lessons of your life?"

"The thing I learned and I didn’t learn it until I’d matured, and I was 80, is that life is about values. It’s not about things and ego and money, because you can’t take it with you. It’s about helping people. I also learned something ancillary because I was part of a Jewish minority. In the city, people seem to have a greater problem with racism. I think it’s because we were smaller; we had the ability to understand each other. We knew everyone in the community, race didn’t matter. Everyone in town knew everyone else. Today it’s more dog eat dog." He then tells the story of how in New Milford pre WWII you’d call the operator to get a number and before she’d put you through she might ask, "by the way, did you find your cat?"

He then adds, "It was also a deeply religious community at that time, but there was never a feeling of not being accepted. I graduated high school in 1938, and at our reunion we all discovered we were poor. But when we were kids, we didn’t know we were poor; we were happy."

"What type of cases are you the most interested in taking?" Lisa asks.

"Personal injury," and he describes a high-profile case involving a local murder in which he helped the victim’s mother obtain a settlement against the parents of the man who’d murdered her daughter. "I think it was a landmark case."

"So tell us about what’s happening now?" I ask, realizing that not only is age just a number, but that Harry Cohen seems to be missing a word from his vocabulary—retirement.

"I acquired an old Victorian mansion in New Milford," he says showing us a picture of the beautifully restored 1896 home constructed by Charles Merritt Beach. "I believe it’s one of the most attractive houses on the green. I’d started my practice with little or nothing and I was able to acquire this building through my efforts in the community and I feel like I need to give back. In the building is both my practice and the private not-for-profit Cohen Resource Center for Family and Children. This is a crisis center for children and families, where counseling and crisis services are offered to people who can’t otherwise afford them." He goes on to add, "We’re interested in helping families who are homeless and kids who have learning disabilities," and he hands me information for an upcoming open house to commemorate the house’s 110^th anniversary, where the public can tour the building and learn more about the Resource Center.

As the interview winds down, I’m struck at the breadth and depth of Harry’s life—past and present. It’s all there, family, community, spirituality, work, friends, hobbies and a strong set of values.

"Yes," Lisa says, "it’s not just the years that count; it’s what we do with them."

The Open House at the Cohen Building will be held Sunday, September 24, 2006 from 1:00-5:00 pm. For more information call (860)354-4488.

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