Muriel B. M Cohen

Muriel B. Cohen (a.k.a. “M”), a Nationally Certified Counselor, long-time partner of Delta Consultants of Rhode Island, world traveler, voracious reader, breast cancer survivor, ferocious card player, avid cruiser, and beloved mother, grandmother and friend died Monday at her home in Wakefield, Rhode Island. She was 72 and the cause of death was pancreatic cancer. Muriel’s life was an incredible journey, characterized by family, passionate love, terrific parties and permanent friendships. Her love affair with her husband Tom Comiskey (a.k.a. “Pa”) set a standard to which her children aspired in their own relationships. Together, they travelled the world, built a business, had fun and, most importantly, raised a family. Their relationship was passionate, respectful, supportive, humor-filled, and yet allowed room for others. They never smothered each other and were open to meeting new people and worked hard to maintain old friendships. Lifelong friendships with Muriel were not the exception; they were the rule. This is because the qualities that made Muriel a great friend – compassion, empathy, a great sense of humor, loyalty, an inner toughness, and humility – were innate. It is, therefore, not surprising that many of Muriel’s friendships spanned generations, and included her children’s friends and grandchildren. People understood that Muriel and her husband Tom would be there for them. As the renowned Marine Archeologist David Robinson recently told Muriel’s son Joseph, “your house was always a place we could go after a fight with a parent to get good advice. Even though we were teenagers, your mom and Tom always treated us with respect.” Whether it was for an hour (a drunk URI student walking in and passing out on the foyer floor), a night (a teenage client thrown out of the house by his mother), a summer (a college friend who did not want to live at home), or a year (a nephew working to build his resume for graduate school) the door to the Cohen/Comiskey house was always open. The same qualities that made Muriel an extraordinary friend made her an excellent therapist and businesswoman. Shortly after graduating from URI with distinction she became a partner at Delta Consultants of Rhode Island, which was at one time the largest psychological consulting firm in the state. Yet, it was not the money that drove Muriel, it was the ability to help people. Muriel would often arrive home with a new afghan, a loaf of bread, or a plate of cookies and explain that it was a gift from one of her clients who she was treating for free because they had no insurance and could not afford to see a therapist. Muriel and her husband Tom also understood the importance of celebrations and ritual. Birthdays, bridal showers, bar mitzvahs, weddings, Passover, the Blessing of the Fleet road race, Patriot games, baby showers, graduations and numerous other occasions were celebrated with gusto at their home on Gibson Avenue in Narragansett. Family, good food, strong drinks, music, laughter and, above all, great friends like Bob, Vicki, Jim, Carol, Sue, Sandy, Lester and Muriel’s first husband, Stewart, were the hallmarks of these events for almost forty years. Muriel is survived by her husband and soul mate Thomas Comiskey, her sons Joseph and David, daughters Michelle and Jennifer, daughter-in-law Isabel Cohen, sons-in-law Peter Manning and Iain Roberts, grandchildren Mason, Sage, Max, Jacob, Emma and Caleb, and her first husband and great friend Stewart Cohen. Given how Muriel led her life, it is the family’s hope that rather than mourn Muriel’s passing, her friends will join them in celebrating her life at a party to be held in her honor in the near future. In the interim, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale, 1231 Kingstown Road, Peace Dale, RI 02879. Muriel was a longtime supporter of the Jonnycake Center and the Center’s work. The family would also like to thank the nurses of Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island who took great care of Muriel and offered tremendous support to her family.