Suzanne Burnett Cohen Obituary (1940 - 2015)

Suzanne Burnett Cohen, 74, of Hallowell, ME died Friday, February 27, 2015 at her home surrounded by her family. Born in Paris, Kentucky on August 30, 1940 to Robert Thomas and Alberta Myers Burnett. She attended and graduated from Paris High School and then moved to Boston, MA graduating from The Chamberlain School in 1960. She began her professional career working at Gilcrest’s Department Store followed by Filene’s as an assistant buyer and assistant branch manager in Belmont, MA. In 1964, she moved to Hallowell, ME and married Richard S. Cohen of Brookline, MA who went on to become Maine’s 50th Attorney General and 35th US Attorney for the District of Maine. In her early and later years in Maine she was the Hallowell correspondent for the Kennebec Journal newspaper, the co-owner of one of Maine’s cooperative craft centers “The Christmas Stocking”, a founding and lifelong member of Row House in Hallowell, a specialist for Children’s Television Workshop in New York City, a long time volunteer and board member of the Maine Festival and was a member of the Italian Travel Promotion Council. In 1972, after moving to Augusta and restoring an historic Winthrop Street house, she started as a volunteer at WCBB, the local public television station, which developed into a 22 year career, 17 of which was spent producing the Great TV Auction. While employed as the Producer of Special Events she organized a Sesame Street Birthday themed birthday party for over 4,000 central Maine children as well as the construction of a three-bedroom timber frame house in Poland, Maine that was sold to benefit the station. Being entrepreneurial in spirit, an organizational wizard and passionate about European travel she chose to make a mid-life career change by starting a specialty travel company in 1992 which acted as an agent for more than 200 Italian home owner’s wanting to rent their villas, houses and apartments in the central and northern regions of Italy. Additionally, her company represented properties and rental companies in Ireland and Great Brittan. In 2002, her company was internationally recognized and named one of The 25 Best Villa Rental Agencies in the World by Conde Nast magazine, a recognition that was maintained for well over a decade. The company has been featured in most of the nation’s leading newspapers and travel magazines over the last 20 years. In 2004, Suzanne moved back to Hallowell to a cottage-style home she helped to design and build, which was one of her greatest joys. Suzanne was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her in-laws and her beloved West Highland Terriers Katie, Max and Lizzie. She is survived by her son Andrew Stockman Cohen and his wife Ulrike Doehler of New York, NY, daughter Meredith Ware Cohen and her husband Steve Cain and their children Hannah and Ailsa of Hallowell, and James Edward Wallace of Hallowell, a surrogate son since 1984 and his son Hagen (Joki) Wallace. Visiting will be held Tuesday, March 3rd from 4-7pm at Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, One Church Street, Augusta. A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00pm, Wednesday at St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Hallowell. In lieu of flowers, those wishing may make memorial contributions to the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, 10 Pet Haven Lane, Augusta 04330 or to the Hallowell Food Bank, c/o City Hall, 1 Winthrop Street, Hallowell 04347. Memories, condolences and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at www.khrfuneralhomes.com