Obituary of Mitchell L. Cohen

Dr. Mitchell Lewis Cohen, 39, passed away unexpectedly on August 14, 2010 in Olympia, WA. Born in Seattle, Mitch was raised on Mercer Island and graduated from Mercer Island High School in 1989. Mitch received his BA in Biology from Whitman College in 1993 and his BS in Medical Technology from the University of Washington in 1996. In 2001, he received his MD from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Practice with Providence St. Peter Hospital where he was also Chief Resident. Mitch was a skilled and caring doctor whose passion was rural family medicine. He was a partner at Elma Family Medicine and on the staff at Mark Reed Hospital and Providence St. Peter Hospital. At St. Peter’s, he served as chair of the primary care and perinatal committee, and sat on the medical executive committee. Additionally, Mitch was adjunct clinical faculty at the UW School of Medicine and part time faculty at St. Peter Family Medicine. A published medical author, Mitch was a pillar of the Elma and Olympia communities. Mitch had a kind and generous spirit. He enjoyed making house calls for his patients and never refused to answer medical questions for his family and friends. His pastimes included gourmet cooking, running (he recently completed two half marathons), sports, American History, and politics (in 2008, he was a delegate to the state democratic convention). Known for his quiet steadiness, he always had a smile and a calming presence. Above all, Mitch was a devoted, loving and compassionate father, husband, son and brother. He is survived by his wife Michelle of 13 years, son Chase (10yrs), daughters Elliana (6yrs) and Victoria (4yrs), as well as his parents Al and Tina and sister, Alisa. Mitch will be greatly missed by his extended family, friends, patients, and colleagues. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Providence St. Peter Hospital Family Medicine Residency, 525 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506. Contributions may also be made to the Cohen Family Trust, c/o Jason Copeland, 265 Mercy St., Mountain View, CA 94041. You may leave your memories of Mitch and condolences for the family by clicking on the "view guestbook" link below.