Noel L. Cohen MD

It is with profound sorrow that the family of Noel L. Cohen announces his passing following a brief illness, on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, at the age of 88 years old.

A native of New York City, and residing in New York, the Berkshires, and Colorado, Noel attended the NYU University Heights College, graduating with a degree in English. He continued his studies at the University of Utrecht, Netherlands, where he met his wife, Baukje Boersma, and obtained a doctorate of medicine.

Prior to his ENT residency at the NYU School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital, he served as an officer of the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1959.

Dr. Cohen held several respectable positions over the years, including: Professor of Otolaryngology; Chairman of the NYU Otolaryngology Department; Acting Dean of the New York University School of Medicine, as well as President of the New York University Hospital Center.

Noel was notably one of the first pioneers of cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants. He is also recognized as one of the United States' leading experts on acoustic neuroma management and cochlear implantation. His career earned him many awards. He was also an invited lecturer worldwide.

Dr. Cohen was inducted into the American Neurology Society in 1968 as a Fellow member, making him one of the oldest and most well-respected members of the ANS. Dr. Cohen also started the NYU Langone Cochlear Implant Center with Dr. Susan Waltzman in 1983. Today, the NYU Cochlear Implant Center is one of the largest clinical and research teams in the world.
He is predeceased by his wife Baukje and sister Ann Kenvin. He is survived by his son, Mark Cohen (Denver, Colorado), daughter-in-law, Sheila (Donahue) Cohen, grandchildren, Victoria and Chris Cohen, niece, Kathy Bergstein (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida), and nephew, Mitch Kenvin (Plano, Texas).

Noel frequently enjoyed: tennis, sailing, skiing, cycling, reading, wood working, and world travel. His two greatest loves were his family and his work.

Memorial donations in memory of Noel can be made to the Cochlear Implant Center via check to: Megan Trenery, NYU Office of Development, One Park Avenue, Floor 5, New York, NY, 10016. Donors should indicate ""Cochlear Implant Center"" on the memo section of the check to ensure that the gift is correctly allocated. Donations may also be made online, using the following link: https://nyulangone.org/give/funds/cochlear-implant-center/donate. Donors should select the ""My gift is in honor or memory of someone"" option to indicate the donation is in honor of Dr. Cohen.