Obituary of Marie Coha

Marie (Pia) Coha, 88, of Huntington, on March 8, 2014 in Burbank, California at the home of her daughter Loretta and grandchildren Ayana, 11 and Marty, 10. Her daughters Amy and Lisa were also with her. Pia's life was filled with family and friends, celebratory dinners and holidays. Pia was an excellent cook and baker. She taught her grandchildren how to make the challenging Italian cookie ciambella. Pia loved reading, a hobby shared by her daughters. She also knitted sweaters and afghans that decorate the homes of her children. Pia was a marathon walker her entire life. For ten years she entered and completed the 18-mile March of Dimes fundraiser with her daughter Lisa. Pia continued walking in Kennett Sq. Pa., when she and her husband Al moved there from N.Y. in 1990. Drivers passing by would stop and offer to give her a lift assuming her car had broken down. Pia and Al, who worked for American Airlines, took many plane trips to visit family and friends and vacations to Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Caribbean, Hawaii and other destinations. After Al's death, Pia moved to Huntington, Long Island to live with her daughter Lisa. Pia visited her daughter Amy in Maine. Her summer cottage on Raymond Pond is the gathering place for the annual family summer vacation bringing together all the Coha girls and grandchildren for boating, fishing, swimming, walking and bar-b-ques. When visiting Loretta and her grandchildren in California Pia would accompany Ayana and Marty on amusement park rides, sharing in her grandchildren's delight for the wildest rides. Pia and Lisa, who inherited her mother's walking endurance, shared many adventures traveling all over the U.S. The last three years Pia spent the winters in California with Loretta and her grandchildren. Pia enjoyed life and was always up for a new adventure. Her love of family, friends, and commitment to helping those in need was the hallmark of her life. Her sense of humor and ability to laugh at herself continued even during her illness. She met the challenges of a terminal illness with courage, grace and humor. We will all miss her strong, loving, delightful, wise presence in our lives and now carry her in our hearts.