Dr. Steven R. Cohen

Steven R. Cohen, MD, PhD, a devoted physician, beloved family man, and a gentle human being passed away on June 25, 2025, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was 78 years old.

Steven was born in Chicago on June 10, 1947, to Max and Martha Cohen, who raised him with deep love and a steadfast example of commitment. It was from them that Steven learned what it meant to care, to persevere, and to lead a life guided by principle.

From a young age, Steven was curious and mischievous. That curiosity revealed itself early—and sometimes dramatically. As a young child, Steven once used a wire coat hanger to touch the third rail of the Chicago L to see what would happen. He swore his life was only saved because of the rubber soles of his shoes, but the memory of that moment lived on as a symbol of his fearless desire to understand how things worked. He carried that same relentless curiosity into his adulthood, eventually leading to his PhD research in which he discovered and then developed one of the first lab tests to diagnose multiple sclerosis.

Steven’s mischievousness was evident when he was a young teen and convinced his baby sister to slide down the laundry chute. As an adult, once at a lunch meeting at work, he slyly pulled out a fork and quietly telescoped it and speared a piece of food off of a colleague’s plate, much to everyone’s surprise. Steven loved to be playful and find ways to make people smile. Another time, his office had a pumpkin carving contest for Halloween, and he convinced his office staff to paint his head like a Jack O Lantern. They didn’t win, but that didn’t matter. He was happy to just bring joy to people.

Steven’s true passion was neurology, and he dedicated his life to the practice of medicine, where his gifts as a physician were matched by the compassion he brought to every patient encounter. He was deeply knowledgeable, meticulous, and patient. But more than that, he truly saw his patients—as people, not just as diagnoses. He listened to their stories and treated everyone with dignity. When he retired, he had hundreds of cards his patients and their families had written to him with gratitude.

To his family, Steven was the heart of everything. He was a beloved son, husband, brother, father, and grandfather. In each of these roles, he gave his full self—kind, thoughtful, and loving. He offered wisdom without judgment and love without condition. His presence was often quiet but he was always there when he was needed.

Steven passed away on June 25 in St. Petersburg, Florida, leaving behind his wife, Karen Cohen (nee Perman) of St.Petersburg, Florida; his daughter Sideara Cohen of St.Petersburg; daughter Alexis Cohen-Oram, son-in-law Matthew Oram, and grandsons Max and Avi Cohen-Oram of Tampa, Fl; brother and sister-in-law Mitchell and Linda Cohen of Riverview, Florida; niece Amy Kamish of Lithia, Florida; and sister and brother-in-law Gail Cohen and Ron Kaz of Boise, Idaho. He also leaves behind a world that is better because he was in it. We will miss him more than words can say. But we will carry him with us—in how we love, how we listen, how we show up for others and how we remember to be present every day. His memory will guide us, just as his example always has.

May his memory be a blessing.

A graveside service honoring Dr. Cohen's life will take place at 11am, June 27, 2025, at Chapel Hill Memorial Park, 12905 Wild Acres Road

Heritage Funeral Care, David and Steven Gross, Directors, are serving the family.