Richard O. Cohen, of Brothers 3 Pools, dies at 83

Richard O. Cohen, a longtime Massapequa resident who owned a Long Island swimming pool business, died Sunday from complications caused by pancreatitis. He was 83.

The family said Cohen died at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola.

Born in Boston, Cohen attended Brookline High School in Brookline, Massachusetts.

After graduating, he started working in the aluminum siding business. He moved to Long Island in 1964 to join the pool business started by his brothers, Albert and Bill Cohen, as a salesman. The company, based in Bethpage and Sayville, would become Brothers 3 Pools.

"The pool industry became a major part of his life," his daughter, Beth Luongo, said in a statement. "He enjoyed interacting with both employees and manufacturers' representatives. It kept him sharp and feeling young."

Cohen first lived in Oceanside with his wife, Rose Fiore, a former club singer and model he had met in Boston. They married in 1962 and raised four children.

After several years, the couple moved to Massapequa, where they would live for four decades.

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When he wasn't selling pools, Cohen enjoyed spending time with his family and taking drives to the beach or the Hamptons.

"He was a man with a great personality and a flavorful life," Luongo said. "He didn't have an enemy in the world."

In addition to his daughter, wife and brothers, Cohen is survived by his son, David; stepdaughters Nina and Carla; and six grandchildren.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Massapequa Funeral Home, 4980 Merrick Rd., Massapequa Park.