Individual Details

Death

Alvin Harold Cohen, the founder and original owner of Adventureland, one of the most iconic places to visit on Long Island, NY, passed away on June 27, 2020 at the age of 94 in Boca Raton, FL. Alvin was the first child of Sumner Cohen and Jenny Berman Cohen born on May 17, 1926 in Roxbury, MA. He graduated from Boston Latin School and Boston University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. Alvin met wife Shirley "Shandle" Rubenstein while boating on a lake in New Hampshire. He was only 19 but lied about his age to impress her. They were married for seventy years until she predeceased him in 2016. In 1962, with great wisdom and foresight, Alvin and a partner purchased six acres of farmland on Route 110 in East Farmingdale where they built, owned, and operated Adventureland– an all-year-round, family amusement park with indoor and outdoor rides, miniature golf, restaurant, and arcade. After much success, Alvin became the primary owner and bought an additional 6 acres to expand the park creating a premier Long Island destination for children and families. In 1977, Alvin and Shirley moved to Lake Worth, FL and eventually settled in Boca Raton, FL where he was a developer of private homes. They embraced philanthropy as members of Temple Beth El of Boca Raton where Alvin was on the board and served as president for many years. He also served on the board of Hospice by the Sea. Alvin was the project manager of Temple Beth El's mausoleum project, the first mausoleum on consecrated Jewish grounds in South Florida, where he will be laid to rest. Alvin gave his full energy to any project he undertook. A tough businessman, he was fair, honest, generous and kind of heart -- able to extract the best from those with whom he worked. He loved to "kibbitz" with everyone he met, and with a dry remark, a façade of seriousness turned into deep laughter. Alvin was an avid swimmer, golfer, and pastry eater, but the most important thing in life to him was his family, as he would tell you religiously. Alvin Cohen is survived by his children Dr. Sheila Furr (Robert) of Boca Raton, and Dr. Robert Cohen (Audrey) of Muttontown, New York; nephew Dr. Richard Tobin (Janet) of Chicago; four grandchildren Jodi Colton (Andrew), Dr. Brian Cohen (Jennifer), Jill Zarin (David), and Jessica Furr; and eight great grandchildren. Services and burial were held on June 29, 2020 at Temple Beth El Boca Raton. Due to circumstances imposed by the Coronavirus, funeral arrangements were private. Donations can be made to the Center for Hearing and Communication - https://ssl.charityweb.net/chchearing/.
Published in Sun-Sentinel on Jul. 1, 2020.