It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Donald Bruce Cofman, beloved husband of Oya, beloved father of Margolit and Tamara, on May 6.
Don Cofman was born in Mankato, Minnesota, in November 1938, and grew up in Watertown, South Dakota and Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated from Palmer High School in Colorado Springs. After a few semesters, he walked away from a full scholarship at Colorado College to try his hand as a journalist, living several years in Washington State before returning to Colorado and finishing his bachelor’s degree at U-Colorado, Boulder. During that time, he honed his skills as a photographer, and his camera remained a lifelong friend.
After finishing college, Don moved to Washington, D.C., and took his oath as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Information Agency, advancing mutual understanding between America and foreign audiences. His career took him to Turkey twice, as well as then-Communist Bulgaria, India, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Azerbaijan over 30 years of public service. He was the spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Israel from 1987 to 1991, providing media updates during peace negotiations, high-level visits and the 1991 Gulf War, when Israel was under missile assaults by Saddam Hussein. He helped open the first U.S. embassy in sovereign Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also served as the spokesman for the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau at the State Department in Washington, including during the Iran-Contra investigations.
Moving to Turkey after 30 years with the U.S. government, Don helmed the Turkish American Association in Ankara before retiring to split his time between Bodrum, Turkey and Falls Church, Virginia. In Virginia, he met up regularly with his A-100 Foreign Service classmates for lunch and foreign policy discussion.
Don is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Oya Cofman; his brother Herb Cofman, his sister Barb Speck (Dan), his daughters Margolit Cofman Hillsberg (Geoff) and Tamara Cofman Wittes (Ben) and his five grandchildren, Jeremy (Ari), EJ, Eric, Gabriel and Melina.
The family encourages memorial gifts in lieu of flowers to Chabad Tysons or the Parkinson’s Foundation. Baruch Dayan Emet. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.