H. Miles Cohn

Howard Miles Cohn passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on November 9, 2021. Miles was born in Houston, Texas on March 8, 1955 to Melvin Seymour Cohn and Marion Edelstein Cohn. He was raised in Houston. Growing up, he loved collecting coins and spending summers with his family at his grandfather's ranch in Hunt, Texas. There, he enjoyed hiking through the hill country and swimming in the Guadalupe River. He later made summer trips with his family to this ranch and taught his sons to swim in this same river. Miles was active in BBYO and attended Lamar High School, where he was a key competitor on the school's debate team. While on the debate team, Miles won back-to-back State Championships as a Junior and Senior. After graduating, he attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned three degrees and graduated magna cum laude. This notably included earning a graduate degree while still being an undergraduate student. Miles had a passion for public policy, history, and politics, and his enthusiasm in these areas led him to earn a M.A. in Political Science, a B.A. in Political Science, and a B.S. in Economics. After college, Miles attended Harvard Law School where he earned a J.D. and graduated cum laude. Upon graduating, he spent the following year clerking for the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and then returned to Houston to begin his career at his father's law firm. Miles soon thereafter met the love of his life, Phyllis Rowe Cohn, who survives him; the couple celebrated 37 years of marriage together. He is also survived by their two sons, Jeremy Micah Cohn and Alexander Warren Cohn, and their wives, Elissa Miller Cohn and Katherine Bergez Cohn, respectively. He is also survived by his siblings, Adam Cohn and Elizabeth Austen, and also by his step-mother Constance Cohn. Miles practiced law for over 40 years in Houston. He was well-known and admired for his integrity, intelligence, compassion and humility. He spent his entire career as a commercial litigator who was passionate about helping others reorganize and restructure their businesses and lives. He focused his practice primarily on banking and financial services, appellate law, real estate, bankruptcy and creditor's rights. As a result of his experience and knowledge, Miles was board certified in bankruptcy law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and certified in business bankruptcy by the American Bankruptcy Institute. He was also a trained arbitrator and mediator, and he served as Special Disciplinary Counsel to the State Bar of Texas. Throughout his career, he was consistently recognized by his peers as one of the top lawyers in Texas. While Miles was revered for his talents, he will also be remembered for how he treated others. He consistently placed others' interests and needs above his own, and he was always available to those who sought his advice, assistance or ear. He was generous with his time and attention, and he was a mentor for many within the legal community. His treatment of others was recognized in 2016 when he was named Boss of the Year by the Houston Association of Legal Professionals. Ultimately, Miles leaves behind a legacy of benevolent assistance void of ego. He had an almost divine way of making the people who had the pleasure of spending time with him feel better about themselves. His family and those close to him will strive to honor his memory and emulate his character. Miles was also a remarkable father and fantastic husband. His greatest pleasures and proudest moments in life revolved around the accomplishments of his family. Jeremy, like his father, attended and triple-majored at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Alex, like his father and grandfather, went to law school and became a practicing attorney in Houston. Miles was always present and supportive of his family. When he wasn't working, reading, or watching the news, he could be found cooking his patented chicken fajita and guacamole Sunday dinners, helping review his sons' homework or other projects, or providing general life advice. He loved his family deeply and they will miss him dearly. The Cohn family would appreciate any contributions made in Miles' memory to the charity of your choice, and would be particularly appreciative of contributions made in his memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), JDRF--Southern Texas Chapter, or Jewish Family Services Houston for the Velva G. and H. Fred Levine Jewish Chaplaincy Program. Miles' funeral ceremony and his son's eulogy were recorded and can be seen at the following hyperlink: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/645259894. Given ongoing pandemic concerns, Miles' family requests that stories and photos of Miles be emailed to them at cohnjm@gmail.com in lieu of in-person Shivas.

H. Miles Cohn

March 8, 1955 - November 9, 2021