Jonathan Kohn, aged 86, passed away on August 12, 2025. Jonathan was a long-time resident of Maplewood / South Orange. He attended South Mountain Elementary School, South Orange Junior High School, and Columbia High School. After graduating from Columbia, he received his Bachelor of Arts from Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and a law degree from Columbia Law School.
Jonathan worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Newark, NJ, and as a corporate counsel for the City of Newark, before moving into private practice at a law firm that became Rothbard, Rothbard, Kohn & Kellar. He specialized in bankruptcy law and commercial litigation.
Returning to his roots, Jonathan moved back to Maplewood from Newark in 1973, where he has lived since.
Jonathan Kohn
Jonathan was an avid squash player, once becoming the “C” league NJ state champion. When he could no longer play squash, he happily discovered pickleball and played that until recently. He loved playing sports, and especially enjoyed hiking. In his late twenties and early thirties, he played touch football with his local team, The Union Jacks. He previously served as the Scoutmaster of Maplewood’s Boy Scout Troop 2, on one occasion leading the Troop on a 50-mile trek in the Adirondacks. He was a long-time member of the board of the Columbia High School Scholarship Fund and the Maplewood Community Coalition on Race.
Jonathan was a believer in equal rights for all and helped organize a contingent of Williams students to attend a demonstration in D.C. during the Eisenhower Administration, advocating for equal employment opportunities in the construction industry. He was also present in D.C. at Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Terry, his sister Andrea, his children – Julie, Matthew, Nancy, and Jason – and his grandchildren – Harry, Theodora, Adam, Justin, and Daniel.
Donations may be made in his name to the Columbia High School Scholarship Fund or to the Williams College Alumni Fund.
