SHIRLEY GARSTON COHEN

Fort Worth, Texas - Shirley Garston Cohen passed away peacefully Monday morning, Dec. 19.  Mrs. Cohen was 96.

A Funeral Service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, December 21, in the Kornbleet Memorial Chapel, located in Ahavath Sholom Cemetery, 411 N. University Drive, with Rabbi Andrew Bloom officiating.  Her family will receive friends at Congregation Ahavath Sholom, 4050 S. Hulen Street, following the service where Evening Minyan on Wednesday and Morning Minyan on Thursday will be held.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Shirley was the daughter of Belarusian Kate and Jacob Garston.  She had lived in Fort Worth since 1931.

Shirley graduated from R. L. Paschal High School at age 16 and from the University of Texas at Austin at 19 with a degree in sociology.  She worked for the Tarrant County Health Dept. until marrying Harold Cohen in 1948 while working at Parkland Hospital when he was in dental school.  Dr. Cohen died in 1999.

While raising four children, Shirley was a member of Congregation Ahavath Sholom and was active in its Ladies Auxiliary, B’nai B’rith Women, the National Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah.

Fiercely independent, she went back to school at Texas Wesleyan  College to earn a teaching certificate and ESL certification.  She then taught First Grade in the FWISD for 20 years.

She very much enjoyed her long life with her kids, grandkids and great-grandchildren, who knew her as “G.G.” for great-grandmother.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandson, Grant Austin Cohen.

In addition to her seven great-grandchildren, Shirley is survived by her children, Murray and Elizabeth of Panama, Darryl and Kathy of St. Louis, MO, Jordan and Lauren of Phoenix, AZ, and Denise and Michael Kleiman of Dallas; 11 grandchildren, Reed Cohen and Dr. Rachel Baylin, Kate and Jeremy Stone, Whitney and Bradley Smith, Blair and Richard Spector, Melanie and Caroline Cohen, Natalie Cohen, Halle Cohen, Joseph Kleiman and Samantha and Devin McCune.

Memorials:  In lieu of flowers, consideration of contributions to Congregation Ahavath Sholom, in her memory, is suggested.