David P Cohen

David Pesach Cohen was born in Philadelphia on Oct. 10, 1936, a son of European immigrants. His father, Joseph, was a tailor. His mother was the former Gertrude Schwab. He majored in history at Temple University in Philadelphia and graduated in 1958. He then went to law school at the University of Pennsylvania but dropped out and took a job with the Upholsterers International Union. Mr. Cohen later moved to Washington to become legislative representative for the liberal Americans for Democratic Action and then director of field operations for Common Cause. He and his wife, the former Carla Furstenberg, were part owners of Politics & Prose, a popular Washington bookstore that Mrs. Cohen operated for decades with Barbara Meade. Mrs. Cohen died in 2010 at 74. In addition to his son Aaron, Mr. Cohen is survived by a daughter, Eve Cohen, and two grandchildren.