Margaret Mary ‘O’Kane’ Cohen

Margaret Mary ‘O’Kane’ Cohen hailed from across the pond, having been born and raised in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. During what was meant to be a small pit stop on her way to Australia, she met the love of her life, Melvin Cohen, and his four children, Bruno, Rick, Dean and Jill. Upon their marriage in 1962, the couple was blessed with three more children, Paul, Melisa and Catherine. Margaret raised all seven children as her own in what dad called a family where there was “no such thing as half-siblings.”

Margaret passed away peacefully with her loving children and granddaughter by her side, at the impressive age of 89.

Those who knew her well knew she was a fighter and tough as nails when she put her mind to something.

She was especially known for her superb baking skills, crafting many a prime rib with yorkshire pudding, Irish soda bread, and her infamous chicken soup “Jewish penicillin as she called it”.

Margaret spent over 30 years volunteering for the Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park, benefiting Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

We may never meet another woman like her, but she will always be in our hearts and perhaps when you hear an Irish tune or saying (which she had one for every occasion), you may hear her too. (Written by Margaret’s granddaughter, Charlotte)

A private dinner will be held Saturday, July 8th and a Remembrance Mass will be held at Saint Albert The Great, Palo Alto CA on Sunday, July 9th at 9:00AM.