Death of Dr. Michel COHEN

Denis JACOB, on behalf of all his friends at SIMS, pays tribute to him.

"Michel Cohen was an exceptional man.
A brilliant radiologist, inventive rather than a follower, curious and passionate about anatomy, he illuminated the musculoskeletal sector within the GEL and then the SIMS for several decades. In particular, he dismembered the hamstring muscles on ultrasound, which were confusing for everyone at the time (Cohen's triangle), using a technique based on axial sections that has now been adopted by everyone. He was also one of the first to take an interest in subjects that were still underdeveloped, such as ultrasound scans of the ankle and foot, in partnership with his practitioner friends at the Clinique Juge in Marseille and the Hôpital St-Joseph. His presentations, enhanced by a high standard of oratory, are unanimously recognised as some of the best, thanks to their precision, particularly in terms of anatomy and iconography, and their almost always innovative nature. He often finished them in the middle of the night, looking for a clearer organisation or the slightest spelling mistake. His radiological writings are also remarkable for their conciseness, clarity and information. Every word, every sentence, every chapter was thoroughly evaluated, reshaped and improved.

Despite the almost unanimous recognition of his peers, including on the international stage, he remained humble and always a perfectionist, always on the alert, always striving to be better. He hated approximation. In Geneva, Lille, Paris, Dijon and even further afield, he forged strong professional and friendly ties, even though he was from Marseilles. His family was very important to him; he looked after his 4 children, Deborah, Dolly, Nathan and Julia, and his dear wife Nathalie, with kindness and talent. Family, friends, culture, music and travel were consumed without moderation, but always with kindness and high quality, not forgetting a wonderful sense of humour. An eclectic man, both manual and intellectual, a fine pianist and a loyal friend, he was always finding new challenges; modern or classical art, but also, for example, gastronomy and history, and he loved sharing his discoveries. Recently, he had developed a passion for watchmaking, taking weekly classes with a retired watchmaker. He took watches apart and reassembled them, delighted in discovering the countless technical solutions available, and spent hours understanding and mastering tiny mechanisms and specialised tools.

He approached the ordeal of his illness in a courageous, dignified, modest and factual manner... He never complained, that was not his style at all. In between trying therapy sessions, he was able to launch his heavy equipment project at the Juge clinic, for which he worked tirelessly, with magnificent results, but also, and above all, to look after his family, return to Israel, move house and learn more. In recent weeks, he had become considerably weaker; music soothed him, particularly Rachmaninov.

He died during the night of 15 to 16/08/22, much too soon, but in the comfort of his home in Marseille, surrounded by his family.
He will be sorely missed by us all. We will never forget him.

SIMS extends its deepest condolences to his beloved Nathalie, Déborah, Dolly, Nathan and Julia, and to all his family and friends.

Michel Cohen was an exceptional man.