JCC’s ‘Mayor of Main Street’ Dies
Sidney Cojac, affectionately if unofficially known as the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s “Mayor of Main Street,” died Thursday, March 17, 2016, four months after he celebrated his 102nd birthday at Huntcliff Summit, his home in Sandy Springs for the last decade of his life.
“Sid Cojac was a beloved member of the MJCCA, and his legacy will live on through the many programs and groups in which he was an active participant,” Marcus JCC Chief Executive Officer Jared Powers said. “Sid embodied what the MJCCA is all about, and his cheerful attitude and positive outlook on life should serve as a testament to us all about aging with grace.”
Born in Harlem, N.Y., in November 1913 to Rose and Harry, he had three sisters and three brothers. He was married twice, to Elaine and Edith, and lived through multiple battles with cancer.
He considered the JCC his home away from home, and the center honored him with a reserved parking space for the 1997 Lexus he drove even beyond his 102nd birthday.
Cojac’s legacy includes the game pickleball, which he introduced at the Marcus JCC. The game plays like ping-pong standing atop the table and using a Wiffle ball.
Cojac’s survivors include daughter Roni Mintz, son Stuart Cojac and four grandchildren.
The funeral was Monday morning, March 21.
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