The Crispus Attucks York History and Culture Center invites you to honor the legacy of Janet Klaw Cohen, who dedicated much of her life to supporting CAY and its mission. Janet’s passion for uplifting the community through housing rehabilitation projects and grant writing left an indelible mark on everyone she encountered. Her kindness, generosity, and tireless efforts continue to inspire those she served. To celebrate her remarkable contributions, we welcome donations in her memory. Your support will help sustain and expand the vital services that Janet worked so passionately to provide. Together, we can continue her mission of compassion and community care.

Janet Klaw Cohen died January 24, 2025, at the age of 92. Janet was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. She was the only daughter of Jack (Abel) and Gene (Regina) Lehmayer Klaw. Janet attended Wilmington Friends School and Wellesley College, where she received her BA in 1953. She later earned a master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Janet married Donn Cohen in December of 1953.  At the beginning of their marriage, Donn was a student at Harvard Law School and Janet, who’d recently graduated from Wellesley, worked in the Harvard Law Library. During their marriage, Janet and Donn had 4 children: David, Martha, Paul and Louise. 

After their time in Boston and a period in Bremerhaven, Germany while Donn was in the US Army, Janet and Donn moved to York, PA. There, Janet became very involved with Crispus Attucks Community Center. She worked at “CA” for 17 years as a volunteer doing various jobs, but later focused on writing grants for CA’s housing rehabilitation projects. Janet loved the Crispus Attucks community and she was beloved by everyone there. She worked closely with Ray Crenshaw, Bobby Simpson, and Tim Warfield.

After retiring from Crispus Attucks in the early 1990s, Janet and Donn went to Eastern Europe (mostly Armenia and Georgia) with the American Bar Association to help those countries convert from communism to a free market economy. Donn worked at setting up Bar Associations and Janet worked in Armenia at the USAID Environmental Office. When they returned, they spent time at Long Beach Island, NJ, and eventually settled in Washington, DC where three of their children live.

In addition to Donn and her four children, Janet is survived by eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She will be remembered for her quiet, dry wit, her patience and ability to listen, her kindness and warmth, her fierce love for her family, and her commitment to supporting those in need.

 

1. Send a check or money order, payable to Crispus Attucks Association, 605 South Duke Street, York, PA 17401-3111. Write Janet Cohen in the memo.
2. To donate via a credit card, without going through our website, please contact Donna Williams at Crispus Attucks at 717.848.3612 and provide the following credit card information:(Name/Address/Card#/Expiration Date/Security code).
3. To donate stock or RMDs, please contact Donna Williams at Crispus Attucks at 717.848.3612 for instructions.