Lisa Cohen Obituary

March 10, 1964 - November 7, 2023 Lisa Block Cohen, 59, of Brentwood, died at home, surrounded by family, on November 7, 2023, after bravely battling glioblastoma for over 2 ½ years.

Lisa was born in Philadelphia in 1964 to Reba and Albert Block. She was valedictorian of her Yeadon High School class before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in only three years. She later received a Masters of Science in Public Health from UCLA and worked in management consulting and strategic planning for healthcare businesses.

Lisa first met the love of her life, Jeff, in 1982 while they were at Penn, having been introduced by a mutual friend (or sharing a drink at a fraternity party, depending on which one of them you were to ask). After graduation, the two of them moved to Los Angeles in 1985, where Lisa's parents had retired.

Though they had no friends in Los Angeles when they arrived, Lisa was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She exuded warmth. That, along with her bright, infectious smile and desire to help all people and animals in need, enabled her to quickly make many lasting friendships. To the day she died, Lisa continued to enrich her and Jeff's lives with her many circles of countless good friends.

Lisa was a wonderful, caring, and attentive mother and pet parent beyond compare. She would endlessly research even the smallest things to ensure that her boys would receive the best education (which was exceptionally important to her), medical care, enrichment opportunities, and anything else she could think of. Her friends knew that if something or someone had been vetted by Lisa, there was nothing better. She also eagerly embraced too many causes to recount, giving both her time and resources, including as board member, substantial fund raiser and event planner for University Synagogue (now Wilshire Boulevard Temple), The John Thomas Dye School, Harvard-Westlake School, Harvard College, and The University of Pennsylvania.

Lisa loved traveling, walking with friends, dinners with Jeff and their friends, Sunday lunch with Jeff and their dog, doing anything and everything with her children and granddaughter, and taking care of the many fish, cats, rabbits and dogs that have enriched their lives.

Lisa was preceded in death by her parents, Reba and Albert Block and is survived by her husband of 37 years, Jeff; their two sons, Justin and Cameron; daughter in law, Chanah; granddaughter, Noa; and Lisa's sister, Elizabeth.

A memorial service will be held at 10am on November 9 at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Avenue, immediately followed by a reception at Brentwood Country Club.

Donations in Lisa's memory may be made to the Lisa and Jeffrey Cohen Brain Tumor Research Fund at UCLA (https://www.uclahealth.org/cancer/LJCohen).
Alternatively, such donations may be made to Wilshire Boulevard Temple to support the renovation of the Resnick Campus (https://www.wbtla.org/lisablockcohen).