Wilson Cohoon - LHS Class of 1958

C. Wilson Cohoon travels to Haiti on a regular basis, but his most recent trip, taken only a week after a 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation, revealed to him devastation on a level he’d never seen before.
“Everywhere you looked there was destruction,” said Cohoon, director of Caribbean operations for the Centerville-based nonprofit organization, Children of Promise International. “The orphanage we run was in pretty bad shape, but none of the children or staff were killed.”
Within 15 minutes of the horrific earthquake that struck the island nation, Cohoon was in contact by phone with Pastor Joel Beaucejour, director of the Haitian orphanage. Cohoon and other COPI volunteers are now assessing the situation and making plans to repair, or reconstruct the orphanage.
Growing up, Cohoon never imagined that he would be leading efforts to improve the lives of children in Haiti, but as his life progressed, he felt compelled to try to make a difference.
Cohoon grew up in Leavenworth, Kan. He started working as an assistant repairman at the age of 12 and later as a janitor and salesman at a local clothing store when he was in high school.
After graduating from Leavenworth High School in 1958, he attended nearby College of Emporia with his high school sweetheart and wife of 49 years, Val (Valorene Pankuch LHS Class of 1960).
After studying two years at the small liberal arts college, the couple transferred to the University of Kansas where Cohoon studied business administration.
In 1961, the couple wed and after graduating in 1962, Cohoon went into management training for a position at JC Penney. After 17 months with JC Penney, Cohoon changed career fields and became a State Farm claims representative in Kansas City until a job transfer moved him to Bellbrook and the Dayton State Farm office in 1971.
“We chose Bellbrook, because we wanted to be near a Lutheran Church,” said Cohoon, who attended Concordia Chapel before becoming a parishioner at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Kettering. “The church members became our family. Shortly after we moved here, my wife needed emergency surgery and we didn’t know a soul. The church members prayed for us and helped us with our children.”
Cohoon and his wife have two children: Scott, who works at Lowe’s Home Improvement; and Kelly, a social worker. They have one grandson, Corey, who is a student at Wright State University.
In 1987, while on a cruise with fellow Emmanuel parishioners, Cohoon came face-to-face with the poverty in Haiti. Following a shore excursion in Labadie, Haiti he realized that he wanted to do something to help the poor. Shortly thereafter, a call came out for church volunteers to help with the COPI orphanage in Leogane. Cohoon helped lay the foundation for the orphanage and church on that visit and continued to volunteer sometimes flying to Haiti three times a year despite working full time.
In 1989, he joined the COPI board of directors where he has helped to lower COPI overhead to only 3 percent ensuring that more money goes directly to help children.
After almost 36 years of working for State Farm Insurance, Cohoon retired and now devotes all of his time to COPI and remains active on the Board of Elders and Board of Missionaries at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
By Sandra Baer, Dayton Daily News