Alta Cohen, played outfield with Brooklyn Dodgers, 94

Wednesday, March 12, 2003

Alta Schoolboy Cohen of Maplewood, a former Major League outfielder, died yesterday at home. He was 94.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. today in Bnai Abraham Memorial Park, Route 22 East, Union. Arrangements are by the Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston.

Mr. Cohen, who batted and threw lefthanded, played with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931-32 and with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1933, after having been an All-Star with the minor-league Triple A Toledo Mud Hens.

He was the oldest living member of the Brooklyn Dodgers Alumni Association.

He was mentioned in Dodger Daze and Knights, a book by Tommy Holmes; in Quinton Reynolds autobiography, and in Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufaxs recently-published book as one of the first Jewish baseball players.

Mr. Cohen founded the Altco Products Co. in 1940, with offices throughout the state, and served as president for 44 years years before retiring in 1984.

He was a member of the board of directors of the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Daughters of Israel Geriatric Center in West Orange, and a member of the Green Brook Country Club in North Caldwell, .

Also a philanthropist, he was honored in the 1980s by Hebrew University, New York City.

Born in Brooklyn, he lived in Verona and South Orange before moving to Maplewood four years ago.

Surviving are a daughter, Salli Mickelberg; sons, Gerry and Donald; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.