Diana (Dede) Kane Cohen

Diana Kane Cohen (1933-2025)

Diana (Dede) Kane Cohen, 91, of East Greenwich, RI, died of natural causes on May 28, 2025, at Kent Hospital. She was the wife, friend, and devoted partner of Jules Cohen for 39 years before his passing in May of 2024. Dede was born and raised in Providence, RI by her parents Sydney and Edythe Kane. She spent her life in Rhode Island, attending Lincoln School and Brown University before marrying her first husband, Donald Barrengos, and then building a family together.

Twenty-five years, four children – Ann, Julie, Andy and John – and one divorce later, Dede reunited with Jules. They had dated in high school and, following their respective divorces, began dating again. They engaged and married soon afterwards in the backyard of her mother Edythe’s home in Providence. She and Jules spent almost four decades enjoying each other and the life they shared together. An avid garden “viewer,” Dede loved planning the beautiful garden they created at their home in East Greenwich and then telling Jules where she thought the plants should be placed. She was fortunate for Jules’ patience and his unconditional love for her.

In addition to gardening and time at home – Wimbledon was a TV favorite for years – Dede loved travel and theatre. France, the UK, and Portugal were overseas favorites along with the East and West Coasts of the U.S. And whether on a plane, in a hotel, or at Trinity Rep for a play, she always met a new person. Her ease in engaging with strangers was part of her larger love of life and people.

This was especially true of the family and friends whom she held close. Whether in person or on what seemed like hundreds of brief phone calls each day, Dede was loving and supportive. She wanted to know about the big and little things in our lives and enjoyed the detail of it all. “How is work? Have you been traveling? Where? What was it like? What did you eat? What about the kids?” The topics didn’t matter as much as the picture her questions and your answers painted of your life in that moment.

Dede lived a long and happy life and left her loved ones with many wonderful memories and laughter. She is survived by her four children, nine grandchildren, and three step children – Joanne Hayes, Stuart Cohen, and Peter Cohen.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in Temple Beth-El, 70 Orchard Ave., Providence. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dede’s memory may be made to the charity of one’s choice.