top of page

Christopher Barrett Cohn

April 19, 1955 - July 27, 2024

Celebration of Life

A private memorial service will be held on Sunday, August 18th in Honolulu and a public Celebration of Life will be held at the Oregon Country Fair in July 2025 in Veneta, Oregon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (https://legacyforest.org). Please plant a tree in memory of Christopher Barrett Cohn.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved brother, Christopher Barrett Cohn, who left us on July 27th, 2024 in Honolulu, HI. He was 69 years old.

Chris, as he was fondly called by friends and family, was born on April 19th, 1955 in Washington, DC to Harris G. Cohn and Barbara King Trice. Christopher spent his life as a musician and artist. He grew up in Chevy Chase, MD and attended The Hawthorne School in Washington DC. Christopher spent most of his time in high school playing music, studying art, and participating in “rebellious politics”.

As a young man, Christopher traveled all over North America, finally settling in Corvallis, Oregon. There he planted trees, played music, and cultivated alternative culture, such as the Oregon Country Fair. During the 1980s, Chris continued to play African and Brazilian music up and down the West Coast. He was a member of the Balafon Marimba Ensemble. Chris spent the early 1990s in Honolulu and Pahoa, Hawaiʻi playing African, Caribbean, and Experimental music. He then moved to Santa Cruz, CA playing Gamelan and studying East Indian music. He returned to Hawaiʻi in 2022. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Christopher is survived by-
Siblings: Jason W. Cohn (CiCi) of San Francisco, CA; Jennifer Solmirin (Kimo) of Honolulu, HI; Erick H. Cohn (Meghan) of Seattle, WA
Aunt: Sandra Cohn Weintraub (Tampa, FL)
Daughter: Kiva Clearwater (Idaho)
Nephews & Nieces: Madeline DiGiorgi (Andrea); Crescent Moon (Ryan); Jason Cohn; Xenophon Wolfmoon (Jaimee); Keegan Feenix, Violet Moon, Beth Cohn, Amelia Cohn.

Rest in peace, dear brother. You will always be in our hearts and memories.

Memory Wall

bottom of page